Rainbow Connection
by Lovely Little Lina
Summary: The Witch has returned to her home in Oz. How she got there is the question she will answer right now. How she got to where she was even she can't answer. She's solving it though.
1. Prolouge

**This is more serious than my previous story, but I began it before that one. It may not make much sense some times remember though that I'm trying. I do not own Wicked or any thing to do with it. If I did I wouldn't be online writing stories here. I would be in some other place and not here.**

Three years have passed since the death of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The castle fortress of Kiamo Ko she had called home had been empty except for one being. Nanny. She hadn't left her bed since the news of Elphaba's death had finally gotten to her. Chistery, the ever-faithful monkey, had attended to her for a few months afterwards, and then seemed not needed. So, he had taken to wandering around the castle grounds. Today however was the third anniversary of her death and he felt an odd presence in the castle. No one had really entered the Witch's room since her death except for Nanny. Chistery didn't completely trust what she said she had seen, since in her old age she had lost many other senses. So, he decided to see her room for himself. He slowly climbed the staircase and stopped just outside her tower room. He moved his hand shakily towards the doorknob and turned it nervously. The door slowly creaked open to reveal a dark and depressing room.

'Just like she left it.' He thought looking around. As he entered the room he saw her hat lying in the middle of the floor. He walked over to it and picked it up in his small hands.

"I guess this is all that's left." He said aloud clutching the hat.

"Actually there's more." Said a voice from the corner. Surprised by the voice Chistery dropped the hat and spun around. The form of a tall, slender woman stood in the shadows before him.

"It couldn't be." He said looking at it curiously. Then the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight revealing her green skin. In her arms she held a book and on her feet were ruby slippers.

* * *


	2. Who? Where? How?

Chistery was excited, surprised, scared and curious at the same time. It confused him so much that he couldn't even think of a suitable question to ask her. She moved to the desk and sat down in front of the open window. He picked up her hat and ran over to where she was. Leaping onto the desk in front of her he held out her hat for her. She accepted it from him and placed it gracefully on her head. "Thank you. Chistery." She said to him. He sat down on the desk as she looked out at the land of Oz. Suddenly She stood up and looked around the room.

"Where is my broom?" She asked him walking over to the shelves and shifting through them in the dark."Where is my cape?" She said turning around to the monkey for answers.

Chistery looked confused by this and jumped down to check for himself. He rummaged around still aware of her eyes on him.

"I'm sure I don't know. I have been the only one in here for three years." He replied looking up at her.

She looked out the window and then down at her desk. All her papers lay there untouched and in the same place she had left them. Doctor Dillamond's notes, her own notes, and books lay all over the surface. She turned sharply around to Chistery again and lifted him up on the desk.

"I need you to find it. Find Glinda." She told him seriously gripping him tightly. "She knows everything and everyone in Oz. She will know who has it."

Chistery nodded his head to her and smiled.

"I'll find it don't worry." He said looking out at her again.

"Good. Thank..." She stopped her self and lifted him up again in her arms."You just spoke." She said her face breaking into a slight smile.

"Yes I did." He replied to her. Half-answering and half just to prove it.

She smiled completely and twirled around the room with him in her arms. She stopped just as she reached a full circle of the room and looked out the window.

"I proved it." She said proudly. "I proved Dillamond's theory." She repeated as if to make it true.

Chistery looked out the window from her arms and jumped out of her grasp and onto the desk.

"I should probably leave if I'm to find Glinda or anyone." He walked out onto the windowsill and looked below him. His curiosity getting the better of him he turned back around and looked at her.

"May I ask how you got to be...well alive?" He asked nervously.

A smirk then graced her face and she sat herself down in front of him.

"Well since you have given me something, I will tell you what I know." She sighed slowly and then thought for a second. Chistery sat on the desk and listened intently.

"As you probably know, I did not like water. It effected me somehow to be melted. Or make it seem like I was. When I was actually brought to the other world. The Wizard's world." She said to him rethinking the events in her mind's eye.

"I was the same as I was when I was here. Except there I had to hide my skin. People would mock or accuse me of what I was. A witch." Chistery was amazed so far by what she had said. The other world. Wow, he wanted to know about them.

"I ended up in possibly the most rural part of their world. The place that girl came from Kansas. So being there I figured I might as well find out where the girl was. So I found out and started my journey through that world. It was easy to find out where she lived. Somehow she was known by everyone. 'The girl who bumped her head', 'The little accident prone girl', 'The trouble maker', whatever they called her; they had heard of her."


	3. Kansas?

**I also don't own any thing From L. Frank Baum. Just thought I had to say that as well. I do own this idea however. I hasn't yet been patened yet, but I'm working on it. I am joking by the way.**

Elphaba walked down a dirt road with a hood pulled over her face and her head down. She approached a small farm on the side of the road and spotted a dog. A little black dog that looked exactly as she remembered it. She knelt down to it's level and stuck her hand out to it. "Do you remember me? I remember you."

It sniffed her green hand and then jumped back and growled. She pulled her hand away from it and hid it again.

"It's nice to be remembered." She said to the dog as she stood up and looked around. Just then a girl appeared. She ran over to her and bent down to pick up the dog.

"I'm sorry. Was he bothering you?" She said in that sickeningly sweet voice of hers. Elphaba rolled her eyes and looked down at the girl.

"Oh, no of course not dear." She replied in a faked sweet voice. "May I speak with you?"

The girl looked around her and then back at the house. "I don't know Auntie Em taught me not to talk to strangers." She said clutching the dog close to her. Elphaba held her composure and led the girl over to a rock. She sat on it while Elphaba stayed standing.

"It will take less than a few minutes." She said standing in front of her while the dog growled.

"Alright. I'm Dorothy by the way." She said sticking out her hand. Elphaba looked at it and kept her hands hidden from her.

"Yes, well then Dorothy, did you recently travel to the Land of Oz?" Elphaba asked sitting lower than the rock. Dorothy's head jerked up and her eyes got wide.

"How do you know?" She asked nervously.

"I was there." She said pulling back her hood to reveal her green face and let her long black hair unfold.

Dorothy clasped her hands to her mouth to keep herself from screaming and the dog cowered back in fear. Elphaba rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I'm just here for one reason and one alone." She told her leaning forward.

"Revenge?" Dorothy said backing away towards the end of the rock.

"What? No. The shoes. All I want is the shoes." She said standing up and pacing. Dorothy looked around and the dog ran back. She had scared him off. Dorothy looked after him.

"Toto!" She called after it with no success.

Elphaba sat in the dog's place and looked at the girl. "Please that's all I came for." She said almost begging. Dorothy looked back at her with fear in her eyes.

"So, it wasn't a dream it was real. There really was an Oz?" She asked looking at her and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"The Land of Oz is as real as is the fact that I am green." She said to her seriously.

Dorothy looked at the Witch and then back at the farm.

"You can have them. I don't want them anymore." She said almost crying the words out. "I'm sorry I stole them in the first place." She said tears now trickling down her face.

Elphaba got up quickly and looked down at the girl. She cried into her hands and then looked up at the Witch.

"Oh, well I hid them when I realized that I still had them. They would be very valuable to anyone here." She said standing up and getting up off the rock once her crying had stopped.

Elphaba didn't speak she only listened to the young girl.

"They're in the barn. Follow me."

Elphaba followed her to the barn and then inside it. Dorothy walked to the back and opened a huge wooden trunk. She dug through it's contents for a few minutes and then pulled out a pair and dusty ruby slippers. She held them in her hands and brought them over to the witch.

"Here they are. Sorry if they're dusty it's been a few months." She said smiling to her for the first time since the witch had revealed her identity.

Elphaba accepted the shoes and held them for a few seconds in her hands.

"It's fine. I have a piece of my sister back." She said holding them close to her.

"How's Liir?" She asked shyly fiddling with her hands. Elphaba was stunned by the question and suddenly felt sorrow.

"I don't know. I haven't been to Oz yet." She answered looking only at the shoes in her hands.

Toto then ran to Dorothy and voices could be heard following.

Elphaba looked behind her to the source of the voices and ran behind a pile of haybales.

The barn doors opened and Elphaba heard the trunk slam shut. She peered over the hay and saw five other people.

"Auntie Em," She said walking to the old women in front. "Uncle Henry, what are you doing in here?"

"Toto, came and told us." The woman said hugging her. "He seemed frightened. Are you alright?"

Dorothy smiled at her aunt and uncle.

"Yes. Nothing happened. He probably just heard a car backfire." They laughed at this and Toto looked over at the hay where Elphaba was watching. She moved her gaze to the three men behind the couple. One was sort of portly in her opinion. The second one seemed to know little about the world around him. The third one however caught her eye. He seemed familiar to her, like she had known him from somewhere. She poked her head out more and stared at this man. She did know him, from somewhere. She just couldn't place it. Then something clicked in her mind. He looked exactly like someone she knew. Who? She ducked behind the hay again as Dorothy's aunt and uncle turned to leave with the other two men. She stepped to the edge of the pile and peered around it at the man.

"You're sure you're alright?" He asked putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes. I said I was fine." She told him with a sweet smile.

Elphaba smiled and moved around to the side of the pile to see him. It would continue to bother her until she figured it out.

"Ok. Well you be careful kid. You went to an imaginary land last time you bumped your head." They both laughed and he hugged her before walking towards the door. Toto ran out before him still afraid of Elphaba. He gave a handsome smile as he left and it clicked in her head. He looked exactly like Fiyero.


	4. A Temporary Home

**This is all in one day, but still review. I did write this. It took me awhile and still may not be as good as the others, but I have some ideas.**

Elphaba sank to the ground behind the bales of hay clutching her heart. Her mind was reeling with memories and facts. Dorothy came behind to where she was smiling sweetly. A look of worry came over her face as she saw the witch on the ground.

"Are you alright?" She asked bending down to the witch on the floor. Elphaba looked at her surprised at her reaction. Did she actually care?

"Yes, I just saw something." She said regaining her composure and leaning against the hay.

"What? You mean like a vision?" She asked kneeling next to her looking excited.

"No not a vision. Who was that?" She asked her motioning out of the barn. Dorothy looked in that direction and then back at the witch.

"Oh, my Aunt Em, Uncle Henry." Elphaba waved her hand to stop her.

"No. The man who just left." She clarified now somewhat annoyed.

"Oh," Dorothy said smiling again. "That's Hunk. He's a farmhand here." Elphaba looked away from the girl and out of the small barn.

"Really?" She said not meaning for an answer.

"Yes. He's really nice. Helps me when I fall. Which is often." Elphaba had stopped listening she stood up and walked towards the exit of the barn.

"Where are you going?" Dorothy asked jumping in front of her to black her only way out.

"I'm going to find him." She said looking down at the girl and then out at the farm.

"No you're not. I've told him all about Oz and he'll recognize you as..."

"The Wicked Witch of the West." Elphaba finished for her straining to see him again.

"Yes." Dorothy said following the witch's eyes out to the farmyard. She then turned back to Elphaba and smiled at her.

"What?" Elphaba asked looking back at the girl.

"You like him don't you?" She said shyly looking up at her. Elphaba rolled her eyes at the girl and crossed her arms again.

"No, he just looks exactly like someone I...used to know." She said looking at the ground. Dorothy kept the smile on her face and looked back out at the farm.

"Well I saw them all in Oz." She said watching Hunk and the other two work in the farm. Elphaba's head shot up and she looked at the girl with hope.

"Who? Where?" She said grabbing the girl's arms and holding her in front of her. Dorothy shocked at the witch's reaction to her statement lost her thoughts for a few seconds.

"Well, speak." The witch demanded shaking her gently.

"I saw Zeke as the Lion who was with me." She said fear in her eyes now. Seeing this Elphaba let her go and stepped back a little. "He gets scared a lot just like the lion." Elphaba thought for a second while the girl looked out at them again. She had known the lion. His cowardice had been because of her. Then again everything is her fault anyway.

"Then Hickory was there as the Tin Man. He has a heart, but sometimes he can be mean." Dorothy continued now turning back to the witch in front of her.

"Finally, Hunk..." She began smiling at her. Elphaba holding her breathe as she paused.

"...was there too as the Scarecrow." Elphaba looked up at the ceiling of the barn and clutched her chest breathing again. 'It had been him. He wasn't dead.' She thought smiling down at the girl.

"Thank you." Elphaba said lowering herself down to her level. "You've given me hope. Now all I need is a way back to Oz." She said standing up again and looking outside.

"Your welcome." She said shrugging and smiling sweetly at her. "I can't help you with getting back to Oz, but I can let you stay here in the barn." Elphaba smiled at her for the first time sincerely as Toto ran in and around her legs. Dorothy picked up the dog and smiled back at her.

"Thank you again." Elphaba said looking around the barn which had now become her temporary home.

"Your very welcome. Just don't let anyone know you're in here. I'll bring you food, but if anyone sees you... Just don't get seen."

Elphaba nodded and turned around to the barn. Dorothy left the barn and closed the door behind her. It was small, but cozy enough for Elphaba to live in. She found a staircase hidden behind a pile of crates. She carefully stepped over them and ascended the stairs. The second level seemed to be designed just for her. The ceiling was just over her head. It had a bed next to a window and another large window over the farmyard. She could see all of it through it. The witch pulled her small cape off and threw it over onto the bed. She pulled a haybale over from the side and sat down on it in front of the window.

Queitly she watched all three farmhands work down below her and saw Toto running wildly around the animals. Dorothy was out there too. She was chasing Toto around in circles. Zeke, Hickory and Hunk all stopped working and watched the dog and the girl. Elphaba smiled as she watched as well. Toto ran through the chicken coop and scared all the chickens. Dorothy followed him in and got caught in the wire around it. Elphaba laughed and watched two of the men run to help her. Hunk however laughed and continued his work. He turned to the barn and looked at it curiously. She stopped laughing and froze. His eyes surveyed the building and stopped on the window. Had he seen her? She didn't know. The other two got Dorothy out and brought her over to their working area. They spoke to her in what seemed like a scolding way and then laughed. Hunk turned back to the others and then pointed at the barn. Dorothy looked worried as he spoke. She shook her head as he finished and got them laughing again. Elphaba moved quickly away from the window and sat down on the bed. 'That was close.' She couldn't help wondering that if he did see her would he recognize her.


	5. Christmas?

**Thanks for the reviews and constructive criticism. I'm still working on it so I'll definitly try to incorporate what you have advised. Thanks!**

Months passed and she lived in the top of the Gale family barn unnoticed. Only Hunk suspected something in the barn and he hadn't said anything in months. Winter was now closing in and it got colder. Dorothy had brought her food as she had promised. Today she brought a month's worth of food in many trips from the house. She had said when it got colder she wouldn't be able to bring food. It was getting colder and temperatures were dropping quickly.

The attic room got colder. Elphaba pulled more and more hay up from the floor below. Soon the hay covered the floor of her attic hideaway. It was warm enough to survive and that was fine with her. She stored the food within a big pile of hay and only ate when she absolutely needed to. Which wasn't often. Dorothy had also given her a calendar to keep track of the months. It was now December 24. On this calendar it said it was something called Christmas Eve. She looked the calendar over many times and then thought it over. "Today is Lurlinemas Eve." She said suddenly remembering. Then she heard a door open below. She threw the calendar onto the bed and hid behind a bale of hay.

"Hello?" Called a male's voice through the barn. She lifted her head a little to see. She couldn't see anything other than hay.

"Alright I know someone's here. How else could the hay move." It said to no one in particular.

She heard footsteps begin walking up the stairs. They came closer and closer. Suddenly she could see a pair of muddy snow covered working boots. She slowly her gaze up his body and saw his face. It was Hunk. His suspicions had finally gotten to him. She smiled behind the hay as he entered her small room.

"Hey." He said looking around. "This is a great view." She moved over slightly to see him better and made some noise.

"What was that?" He asked turning sharply around to look. Elphaba froze where she was as he approached the pile of hay. He dug through the hay until he reached her shoulder in it. He gripped it in a strong painful grasp and pulled her out. He through her onto the bed and starred at her for a second. In the dim light her green skin was unnoticeable, but the light could change.

"Who are you?" He asked looking at her curiously.

"I'm a nobody." She said sighing and reaching for her cape. He grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"That's not going to be enough of and answer." He said pulling her into the moonlight flooding through the window. The light hit her and her green skin glowed brightly. He let go of her wrist and backed away stunned. He tried to speak but was at a loss for words.

"Do you know who I am now?" She asked him moving closer. He gaped unbelievingly at her and ran his hand through his hair.

"You're the...the..." Elphaba stopped him and finished his sentence for him.

"The Wicked Witch of the West."

"Yes." He said breathlessly still not believing.

"That's who I am." She said shrugging and moving over to her bed and clearing it for her to sit down on.

"Really? What is the Wicked Witch doing in the Gale's barn?" He asked sitting himself down on a bale of hay.

"I'm living obviously. Dorothy allowed me this to live in." She told him pulling some crackers out from a nearby bale and offering it to him.

"Well I can see that you're living, but why would she let you. From what I've heard you're not exactly a nice person." He said accepting a handful of crackers. Elphaba smiled at him and put the crackers back in the hay gently.

"Well you're hearing from a little girl who has been influenced by the Wizard, who isn't what he seems to be." She said with a smirk as she pulled her legs up under her skirt to keep them warm.

"Why are you here if there really is an Oz." He asked leaning forward interested.

"That I can not explain. However am I not green?" She said to him moving over slightly into the moonlight.

"Yes you..."

"There is your answer to your question. 'Yes' there is an Oz." She said to him leaning back against the window.

He looked at her confused for a second and then smiled.

"What a perfect way to put it." He said amazed at her.

"Did you think this witch was stupid?" She said pulling her legs up to her again and looking out the window.

"No... of course I didn't. No way." He said to her straining for her eye contact. She turned her head back towards him and smiled again.

"Sure you didn't. You thought I was one of those hideous, nasty, hags that they say are witches in stories."

"Well, yes I did think you were like that though." He agreed nodding his head and grinning. "Now that I see you though I am pleasantly surprised." Elphaba smiled knowing only one other to have said the to her. Fiyero.

Hunk asked her more questions most of them about Oz itself. Some of them were about her and her life back in Oz. He seemed very interested. She would answer him in great. Every question seemed to lead to a long drawn out answer. This however didn't effect him at all. He still listened intently to her every word. After awhile he checked his watch and almost jumped up in shock.

"It's midnight already." He told her looking out at the farm. "Merry Christmas." He said to her taking her hand and kissing it.

"What is Christmas?" She asked him. It was her turn to ask now. He looked at her with wide eyes as he moved over onto the bed next to her and held her hand.

"It's this big holiday we have every year on December 25th." He said looking at her and trying to find a way to explain it. "We celebrate the birth of a great man. The Son of God. Jesus Christ. This man created a religion that we still practice today. That was 2000 years ago." He said looking out the window at the silent farm.

"So it's almost exactly like Lurlinemas." She said looking at him smiling.

"What?" He said turning back to face her. He looked utterly confused at her words.

"Lurlinemas is when all of the fairy Lurline's followers celebrate her wonderful coming into Oz. It's much like Christmas here." She said remembering Oz.

"Do you celebrate it?" He asked her as she leaned back against the wall behind her.

"No. I'm not any sort of religion. My father was unionist, but I would much rather just be myself and not follow anyone." She said looking up at the ceiling.

"That's a wonderful decision." Hunk said leaning back on his elbows. Outside snow fell quickly and the wind whipped it against the window. Elphaba turned her head sharply towards it and pulled her cloak up off the floor and around her.

"Mind if I stay here? I'd rather not go out there." He asked motioning out the window.

"No. I don't think there is enough room here, but if you want to then you may stay." She said wrapping the cloak around her to keep warm. He moved off the bed and grabbed his winter coat her had worn here. Elphaba pulled the cloak with her as she layed down and curled up on the bed.

"Goodnight...er... what should I call you?" He asked standing over her.

She turned over onto her back and smiled at him. "Elphaba."

"Elphaba." He repeated smiling. "Merry Christmas, Elphaba." He said kissing her gently on the cheek and going over to the hay. He used the hay as a bed and his winter coat as a blanket to keep warm.

"Merry Christmas, Hunk." Elphaba said smiling and falling asleep quickly facing the window


	6. A Date

Christmas morning came quickly and the sun shone down through the window over Elphaba. She woke up to the sun in her eyes. She looked out the window at the freshly fallen snow down below. She sat up and turned over in the bed. Hunk was still sleeping on the ground by the bed. He must have slipped off the bed during the night. She took her cloak off and draped it over him. Then below she heard the door open again.

"Hello? It's me Dorothy." A sweet voice rang out from down below.

Almost instantly Hunk awoke and sat up making her cloak fall off. He looked over at Elphaba and she shrugged. He stood up trying not to make a sound and moved over to her. She looked at the top of the stairs and the top of Dorothy's head began to appear there. Hunk shivered slightly and she threw her cloak around him again.

"Are you awake?" Came her voice again. Hunk leaned back against the wall and shivered. Elphaba watched the stairs waiting her reaction.

"Yes. I am." The green witch said to her. Dorothy came up at a quicker pace, but froze as she saw Hunk there.

"What are you doing here?" She asked her smile fading and the bag in her hands lowering to her side.

"He found me up here last night and then became interested in Oz. In short his curiosity got the better of him." Elphaba explained calmly as Hunk slid off the bed and moved back over into the hay for warmth. Dorothy's smile still didn't return to her as she moved over towards Elphaba. Hunk put his winter coat on and smiled up at them both. Now her smile came back as she picked her bag up and put it on the end of the bed.

"This is why I came. Merry Christmas." She said giving Elphaba the bag.

"What is this Dorothy?" She asked pulling the bags towards her.

"Oh, Elphaba I might've forgotten to mention we give presents on Christmas." Hunk said smiling guiltily. Elphaba smiled at him and then turned to the bag.

"Elphaba?" Dorothy repeated with a confused look on her face. Elphaba glanced over at Hunk and opened the bag. Inside were at least ten wrapped presents all addressed to her.

Hunk stood up and walked over to Dorothy. He gripped her shoulder and looked at her.

"You invite someone to stay without knowing their name?" He asked smiling at her.

"Well I thought she was just called the Witch of the West." She said shrugging and kneeling down on a hay bale. Elphaba laughed slightly as she pulled all of the presents out of the bag. Hunk laughed as well and sat down on the bed behind Elphaba. She picked up a small one and tore it open in her lap. It was a book. A big book about the United States.

"What is the United States?" She asked reading the title of the book. Hunk laughed even harder and leaned back against the pillow.

"It's the country your in right now." Dorothy said smiling at her.

"Oh." Elphaba said smiling back at her. She placed the book aside and picked another one out. It was another book. Half of them turned out to be books. About history, science, English. She thanked her for each book and then picked another present.

"These books are all wonderful. Thank you. It's just I can't read your language." She said lowering her head.

Hunk sat up and looked at Dorothy then back down at her. She lifted her head back up and smiled weakly at them both.

"I've been trying to teach myself."

Hunk shook his head slightly behind her and gripped her shoulder.

"I'll teach you." He said. "I know how. I'll come every night after dinner. That way no one will notice." He suggested smiling.

"Would you really?" Elphaba said excitedly.

"Yes." He said simply in reply. Elphaba turned around and embraced him.

"Thank you." She said pulling out of the gesture.

Dorothy smiled slightly behind them and made a fake cough to draw their attention. Elphaba smiled and turned back to her presents. She opened the rest quickly. They were all books or some trinkets Dorothy had found or made her. When she thought there were no more left Dorothy pulled out a small package from behind her back. Elphaba rolled her eyes and accepted it from her hand as she held it out.

"Let's just say this is from Hunk." She said smiling at him. Hunk's head jerked up in surprise.

"What I never..." As he started to retort Dorothy kicked his leg hanging off the bed and he stopped speaking. Elphaba ripped the edge of the package and tore the paper off. It was a small box.

"Open it." Dorothy directed excitedly. Elphaba listened to her. Inside the bag was a bracelet. It was many separate bracelets connected by one bar at each end.

"It's beautiful thank you." She said first to Dorothy and then as Dorothy pointed to Hunk she turned around to face him. He smiled at her then down at the bracelet in her hands.

"You're welcome." He said to her. She turned back around to Dorothy and smiled at her.

"Thank you too. For all the presents." She said to her slipping the bracelet on her thin wrist.

"You're very welcome." Dorothy replied pulling out a bag. "You can put all your new stuff in this bag." She said smiling and handing her the messenger bag. Elphaba accepted it and placed all her books and new gifts into it.

"Hunk, Auntie Em is serving Christmas dinner at 4 o'clock this afternoon. You better be there." Dorothy said turning to leave the barn.

"Don't worry. I'll be there." He said leaning forward and smiling as she left the barn. Elphaba put the bag with all her new gifts under her bag and leaned back against the window. He leaned back next to her and put his arm carefully over her shoulder. She acknowledged it and closed her eyes and grabbed his hand. With her free hand she fingered her bracelet. All the bracelets were connected by one piece of metal. Her eyes shot open wide suddenly and she looked down at the bracelet.

"That's it." She said smiling and looking over at him. He was smiling and looking around the room.

"What?" He asked looking at her curiously.

"That's the answer." She said leaning forwards slightly. "Everything is connected. My world is connected to yours. I'm the first from Oz to come here. Why though did I come here instead of die?" She asked herself not expecting him to understand. Her head came back up again and she smiled. "Counterparts. Now I see it."

"What are you talking about?" He asked her slightly annoyed by not understanding. She moved to the edge of the bed and turned around to face him. "Everyone in Oz is almost or exactly like someone in this world. Counterparts. You are exactly like Fiyero in appearance. Zeke has the same face as the Cowardly Lion. Hickory looks like the Tin Man. Each of you has a counterpart." She explained proudly to him fingering her bracelet again.

"Oh, I see. Dorothy told me I was the scarecrow though." Hunk said thinking it was an error.

"You look like Fiyero. Who was changed into the scarecrow as a punishment I presume." She said as her smile faded.

"Punishment for what?" He asked leaning forwards slightly in interest again. Elphaba didn't answer for a few seconds and he moved forward on the bed.

"For loving me." She said solemnly. Hunk moved to the edge of the bed and hugged her gently.

"Sorry I asked. Get back to your revelation." He said sliding onto the floor and moving over towards the hay. She stood up and walked over to the window. For minutes she just stood there and watched the snow fall gently. Elphaba sat down in front of it and looked out at the snow covered ground.

"Why am I here when I was meant to die?" She asked herself annoyed. Hunk stood up and walked over to her. He gripped her shoulder smiling and looked out below them.

"Why though?" She repeated putting her head in her hands.

"Don't beat yourself up trying to answer it. Not today it's Christmas." He said sitting opposite her.

"Usually I don't celebrate these holidays, but I'll celebrate it with you." She said looking at him and smiling. He smiled broadly and embraced her again.

"Do you want to come to Christmas dinner with me?" Elphaba looked at him smiling and half laughing.

"Maybe you've forgotten, but I'm green." She said to him showing her hands.

"I know. We can disguise you." He said smiling and standing back up. He picked up a piece of cloth from the floor and held it up next to her.

"You wear gloves and as for your face..." He said looking at her puzzled for a few minutes.

"Makeup won't work." She said, as he looked hopeful with an idea.

"It might." He said hopefully running down the stairs and out of the barn. She watched him run through the snow and into Dorothy's house. She smiled and looked around the empty room. It was only she now in the barn. Only her now.

She stood up suddenly and looked around the room. That's why she was here. She had solved it.

"I have no counterpart. I'm only me." She smiled about the revelation. "That's it. I don't have any counterpart in this world." She said proudly. Just then the door opened and closed down stairs. Hunk must be back. He ran up the stairs with a box full of make up.

"It's not mine it's Dorothy's." He said coming over and placing it down on the bed.

"I figured it out. It's because I don't have any counterpart. No one in this world is like me." She said smiling at him. "I did it. I solved it." She told him excitedly.

"That's great. Now sit down. We've got a lot of work to do. In only four hours too." He said looking at his watch. Elphaba sat down in front of him on the bed. He began applying basic makeup, but it only covered the green. He ended up applying a few layers of foundation to finally cover it. Then he stood back to admire his work. He pulled a mirror out of the box and held it in front of her. She looked exactly like herself except for the green being gone. She touched her face unbelieving what she was seeing.

"It worked." She said amazed.

"I know. I didn't think it would." He said sitting down next to her and checking his watch again. "It's 3:45. We better go." He jumped up and grabbed her hand. She grabbed her cloak as she was pulled down the stairs. She wrapped it around herself as she was pulled through the snow and into the small house. The house was warm and cozy despite the cold outside. Zeke and Hickory were already here each with a date. Dorothy was sitting in the living room with Toto on her lap with her Uncle across from her talking to the two farmhands. Her Aunt was in the kitchen supposedly still working. Dorothy jumped up and came over to hug him making Toto jump off her lap. Hunk hugged her back and swung her around in a circle. Dorothy then looked behind him at Elphaba. She came closer and then her jaw dropped.

"Elphaba?" She whispered to her. Elphaba looked up and smiled at her.

"Yes, Dorothy?" She answered her. Dorothy looked amazed at Hunk.

"Is this what the make up was for?" She asked him crossing her arms.

"Yep." He answered putting his hands in his pockets and walking over to the other men in the sitting room.

"Well I'm glad you could join us." She said smiling and leading her over into the sitting room.

"Are you Hunk's girl?" Dorothy's uncles asked her as she sat down next to Dorothy. Elphaba looked over at him and smiled.

"I am Elphaba." She answered him turning away again. He turned to Hunk and motioned to her.

"Is she your date?" He asked him.

"Yeah. She is my date." Hunk answered him smiling at her. Elphaba smiled back and then turned to Toto and reached her hand out to pet him. He pushed against it. Maybe he was growing to like her. She couldn't decide whether or not that was good or bad. The dinner was finished in less than a few minutes and she sat them all down. Dorothy was next to her Uncle on one side, her Aunt on the other. Elphaba was on Hunk's side and across from Zeke and his date. Hickory sat at the head opposite Henry with his date opposite Elphaba. It was wonderfully laid out on the table. The Turkey, stuffing and vegetables all smelled so good. After they said grace they all ate. Elphaba ate one or two of everything. After eating only snacks for months, this meal was wonderful. After a few long minutes they were all finished eating and all went back into the sitting room. One by one they all gave presents or received presents. Elphaba watched them give graciously and receive gratefully. Then it all ended suddenly. Everyone seemed to look at her then. Auntie Em stood up and rummaged through all the bags.

"Sorry we don't have a gift for you. We didn't know you were coming." She said truly sorry. Elphaba shook her head smiling. "It's alright Hunk gave me this." She said showing them her wrist with the bracelet on it. Auntie Em came over followed by the other woman except for Dorothy. They each took turns grabbing her wrist and looking at the bracelet. Hunk smiled at Dorothy as she ignored the girls flocking around Elphaba. She smiled at Hunk who looked at her surprised. They really didn't know they were around the Wicked Witch of the West.


	7. Reading Lessons

**This chapter is short I know, but it has to be here. I think.**

Hunk took Elphaba back to her hiding place above the barn. She was laughing with him. She had actually had a good time. He walked her all the way up to her small cozy room. She sat down on the bed and pulled the mirror closer to her.

"Look at me. I'm white." She said laughing and looking up at him. "I still can't believe it."

"I can barely believe that this morning you woke up green." He said sitting next to her. Her laughing died out and she laid her head back on the pillow.

"May I take it off now." She asked scratching her face as her smile faded.

"No. Then I'll have to apply it again if I need you to make an appearance." He said leaning against the wall. She sat up and looked at him her smile now completely gone.

"An appearance?" She asked confused at what he just said. "Just tell them you broke up with me because I wasn't...enough." She said lying back down on the pillow. He looked at her and a smile appeared on his face.

"Alright. Then let's take this make up off." He said getting the box and moving towards her. She sat up with her eyes closed. He removed it faster than he had put it on and she lay back down. He closed it up and slipped it under her bed.

"Goodnight, Elphaba." He said pulling his coat back on and walking to the top of the stairs.

"Goodnight." She called staying down on the bed.

"I'll start the teaching tomorrow. Okay?" He said starting down the stairs. At this she shot up and looked at him.

"I'll be waiting." She said lying back down and turning towards the window. She heard his footsteps go down the stairs and felt the cold of the door opening and closing below. She watched him walk slowly back to his house from above and then fell into a sound sleep with her cloak pulled around her.


	8. Ironic Friends

The next morning she woke up, green again and waited. She ate a small breakfast and sat on the hay near the window watching for him. She saw Dorothy out with that dog running around in the snow, but she didn't see him. After a few hours of waiting she saw him come around the corner of the house and towards the barn. Dorothy waved at him as he passed and he returned the gesture. Elphaba smiled as she saw him approaching and she pulled the bag of gifts out from under her bed. He almost ran up the stairs shivering from the cold and removed his coat as he entered the warm room. He walked over to her on the hay bale and sat on one near it.

"I don't know how she can stand the cold." He said looking out the window at Dorothy.

"I can." Elphaba said pulling out a book. "This is history. I suppose I can use this." She said handing it to him.

"I brought you an actual present from me." He said pulling out a wrapped package from his jacket on the floor. Elphaba accepted it from him and unwrapped it quickly. It was another book. This one though looked different.

"It's an actual teach yourself English book." He explained taking it from her and opening it. He then began to teach her the English language and how to read. After hours of learning Hunk put the book down and looked out the window. Dorothy was still outside in the snow. She and her dog were running around happily.

"Want to go outside?" He asked grabbing his coat off the floor and putting it on. Elphaba looked up at him as she slid the bag back under her bed.

"I'm green again." She said standing up and looking at him. Hunk smiled down at her and grabbed her hands.

"Come on. You're locked up her all day. No one will see. You'll be all covered." She smiled at him as he made these points. She turned around quickly and wrapped her cloak around her. She pulled the hood up to cover her face and then moved over to him again.

"Okay let's go." She said to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her gently down the stairs. She quickened her pace to catch him as he pulled open the door and let in the cold air. She followed him into the blinding white light of the outside and stepped into snow with her black boots. She saw Dorothy stop and run over to them.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked Toto coming now and stopping at her heels. Hunk let go of her hands and looked at Dorothy.

"She's getting some air." He said to her smiling at Elphaba. She smiled back at him and looked down at the snow around her.

"Yes, but why?" Dorothy asked again looking at Hunk curiously. Hunk sighed annoyed at her questions.

"I just thought that because she's been up there for so long she would like some air." He said rolling his eyes. Dorothy looked back at Elphaba who had completely tuned them out for right now. She was looking down at the snow. She bent down and looked at it closely. Feeling Dorothy and Hunk's eyes on her she stood up quickly. Dorothy bent down and picked up some snow in her hands. She molded it in a ball and prepared to throw it. Hunk put his arms up over his face and backed away. Elphaba put her hand up in front of her and also backed away. She threw it at Elphaba and it hit her hand and exploded all over her face. She stood frozen for a second and then shook it off. A smile crept onto her face and she made a snowball herself.

"I can touch it. I can touch water." She said happily. She threw it at Hunk and it hit his face directly. He made a snowball and looked over at Elphaba smiling.

"No. Don't you throw that at me." She said threateningly as he came closer. He stepped closer and closer to her slowly. She backed away just as slowly and then broke into a run. He chased her around the barnyard. Dorothy stood in one place and laughed at the two. Then Elphaba came up to Dorothy and stood in front of her. Hunk followed her and threw the snowball. Just as he did she ducked down and it hit Dorothy directly in the face. She glared down at Elphaba crouched below her and Hunk just laughed. Elphaba grinned up at her and knelt down in the snow.

"That was good Elphaba." He said walking over to them out of breath. She grinned up at him as he offered her his hand. She gripped it and he pulled her up to her full height. Dorothy whipped the snow off her face and made it into a smaller snowball. She aimed at Elphaba, but just as she threw it Hunk pushed her out of the way. He took the snowball while Elphaba steadied herself up next to him.

"You missed." She chimed at Dorothy smiling. Dorothy smirked at her and Toto barked at her heels. Hunk shook the snow off of him and fell down in the snow laughing.

"Let's go to the lake Hunk." Dorothy said kneeling in front of him in the snow. Elphaba stayed standing and looked down at them.

"Well only if Elphaba comes." He told Dorothy looking up at her grinning. Elphaba shook her head at him as Dorothy turned around.

"Oh, please, please, please." Dorothy begged her kneeling at her feet. Elphaba looked away rolling her eyes and then looked down at the girl.

"If you'll never beg again." She said crossing her arms across her chest. Dorothy jumped up and hugged her. Elphaba stood stiff until she let go and then relaxed herself. Hunk jumped up and stood beside Elphaba.

"I may have an extra pair of skates in my room." Dorothy said running into the house with Toto at her heels. Elphaba glared at Hunk next to her.

"What?" He asked shrugging innocently.

"Why did you have to do that? Just say no." She said crossing her arms again. Hunk looked surprised.

"Please. I can't say no to her." He said laughing slightly. She looked at the house and smiled back at him.

"No one can. She's a demon." She said backing away from the house. Hunk laughed and followed her.

"She just wants to have fun. So do I." He told her looking at her. "Does this have to do with skating?" Elphaba grinned at him and lowered her arms to her sides.

"No, I can skate just fine." She said to him. He shrugged again and then looked over at the house waiting. She bent down and molded a snowball in her hands. Silently she went behind him.

"Hunk." She called to him smiling. He turned around to face her and she hit him with it square in the face. He glared at her as she laughed.

"You better start running." He said whipping the snow out of his face. She ran quickly over by the house and away from him. He ran after her and caught her around the waist. He threw her down in the snow and stood over her smiling. She laughed on the ground in front of him and rolled over onto her back. Dorothy then came out with two pairs of skates in her hands. She walked over to them and smiled.

"What happened?" She asked curiously.

"Nothing." Hunk replied offering Elphaba his hand again. She gripped it with both her hands and pulled herself up. Dorothy looked at them suspiciously for a few more seconds and then smiled again.

"Let's go." She said running off towards the back of the house. Elphaba followed her to a lake a little behind the house. Hunk came out of the back of the house with another pair of skates in his hands. Dorothy sat in the snow and put on her skates quickly. Hunk put his on just as quickly and walked over to the pair next to Dorothy. He gave them to Elphaba smiling and then walked over towards the lake. Dorothy and Hunk skated around while Elphaba put on her pair of skates slowly. Once they were on she moved onto the lake and skated towards the two. She held her arms out at her sides to keep her balance. Skating was never something she had been great at. Hunk skated quickly past her and around her in circles. Finally she hit him over the head hard and he fell down on the ice. Dorothy laughed at him and skated over to Elphaba.

"He usually never falls." She said surprised at him.

"Really? Well he usually doesn't skate with me." She said smiling and spinning on her skates. It was getting more comfortable. Hunk stood up and shook it off. He skated back over to the two girls and grabbed Elphaba's hand.

"Hey." She said as he pulled her faster around the lake. Dorothy laughed at them and went over to the snow and sat down. Elphaba went faster and faster behind him. Hunk turned around and grabbed her other hand.

"No. Stop it." She said to him. Her hood fell off and her green face stood out against the snow around her. Hunk smiled at her as he spun her around and around.

"Hunk stop spinning the poor girl." Came a woman's voice from the house. Hunk pulled her close and stopped it quickly.

"Yes, Mrs. Gale." He called to her. Elphaba turned her head away from the house.

"She could get hurt." Came a man's voice. This one sounded closer than the woman's did. Elphaba reached for her hood, but her whole cape had flown off as she had spun. Dorothy skated out to them and stopped behind Elphaba.

"Uncle Henry's out here. Hunk hide her." She said skating back towards the house. Hunk looked confused as he looked down at her.

"How the hell do I do that?" He asked her. Elphaba grabbed his hand and skated over to her cloak on the snow.

"Stand right there." She said placing him so he was blocking her from the view of the house. She bent down and quickly wrapped her cloak back around her and pulled it up to cover her face.

"There, problem solved." She said smiling at him. He grabbed her hand again and gently pulled her over to where Dorothy was distracting her Uncle.

"Sorry." Hunk said stepping off of the lake and helping Elphaba to follow. Elphaba smiled at Henry and stepped out of her skates and back into her boots. Henry returned the smile and looked up at Hunk.

"If she was to get hurt we would get into trouble. Understand?" Elphaba looked up as he said this and then down at Dorothy.

"It was my fault." She said suddenly stepping forward. Hunk looked at her surprised. Dorothy looked up at her with wide eyes. Her aunt now came outside and looked suspiciously at her. "I provoked him to spin me. Blame me." She finished saying standing in between Henry and Hunk.

"Alright. Well you be careful. No more provoking him." He told her turning and going back inside the house. Hunk turned her around and smiled at her.

"You did actually provoke me." He said stepping back onto the ice.

"A thank you would be nice." She yelled after him. Dorothy also went back on the ice leaving Elphaba alone in the snow. She watched them until they finally finished skating. Then Hunk and Dorothy removed their skates. Hunk gave his to Dorothy and sat by Elphaba in the snow.

"Goodnight." Dorothy said going back into the house. Elphaba stood up and began walking back to the barn. Hunk hurriedly followed her. She stopped at the barn door and smiled at him.

"Goodnight Hunk." She said opening the door and walking inside.

"Goodnight." He said as she closed the door behind her. She ran up the stairs and into the warm room. She watched him disappear behind the barn side and then laid down on the bed. She pulled her cloak up to cover her and looked out the window. The moonlight fell onto her green face lighting it up in the darkness as she fell asleep.


	9. A New Emerald City

That year ended peacefully and another year in the place called America began. Elphaba worked tirelessly in January to figure out a way to return to her home. It outraged her sometimes and no one would visit her. Then other times she would be calm and collected about it. At those times Hunk and Dorothy would visit her. Bringing her more food and news of what went on in their world. Hunk seemed to like her and she sometimes swore she could see Fiyero in him slightly. Dorothy had recently fallen in love with a city called New York. At hearing this Elphaba had immediately opened the book about the country and found it. None of them had ever been even close to there so they couldn't give her any information.

"Why don't we go there?" She had suggested to them looking over the page of her book. Dorothy jumped out of her seat at this and looked suddenly excited. Elphaba looked up at her looking guilty.

"Can we? Oh, please?" She whined to Hunk getting on her knees. Hunk looked over her at Elphaba who shook her head quickly.

"I don't think your Aunt and Uncle will really approve of us taking you." He said quickly to her. Her face fell and she looked up at him. Elphaba grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face her.

"He's right." She said to her lowering to her level and making her back up. Dorothy crossed her arms and sat back on her heels.

"You two are going though?" She asked them glaring at the floor in front of her. Elphaba looked up at Hunk across from her and they agreed without words.

"Yes." He answered her. Dorothy stood up and moved to the stairs.

"Fine. Then I'm going to leave." She said trying to get them to stop her before she left. They didn't so she was forced to leave the barn. Elphaba watched her run across the snow and into the house angry now at them.

"So, we're really going to New York?" Hunk asked trying to get her attention back on the subject.

"Well I do really want to see it. I suppose it will be something like the Emerald City." Elphaba answered him standing up and placed the book back under the bed.

"Then let's go. I've never seen it so we'll probably get lost." Hunk pointed out also standing up and moving to the stairs.

"Being lost is a great way to live." Elphaba said bringing her head back up and looking out the window at the snow on the ground.

"So we'll go then." Hunk said walking down the stairs slowly. He saw that she was something different and still he liked her. Why was he so weird? He had to like the witch from another world. Somehow he didn't seem to care anymore.

The next morning Hunk went over to the barn rather early and found her still asleep. He sat on a bale of hay and watched her. Flashes of her in a different place came into his head. He saw a white cat and blood spilled onto the wood floor. Hunk put his head in his hands and looked up at her. She was awake now and had been watching him from her bed.

"What?" Elphaba asked him moving closer to him on the hay and trying to make eye contact. Hunk looked up and smiled awkwardly.

"Nothing I just thought I saw something." He said to her waving it aside. This seemed to catch her interest and she leaned forward.

"Really? What did you see?" She asked her eyes trying to penetrate through to his mind.

"I don't know. A white cat that seemed to be covered in blood and then a pool of blood."

Elphaba looked at him in shock at his description. Of course the cat was Malky, but that wasn't what shocked her. It was the fact that she had dreamed about that. The night Fiyero had supposedly died. She had not actually seen a body, but just the blood on the floor had scared her.

"What is it?" Hunk asked her drawing her back to the present time and out of her memories.

"Oh nothing." She said to him pushing it aside and getting back on the topic he had come here for. "So, New York."

"Yes. Well we could take a train up there and that would take about five hours or something like that." Hunk explained as Elphaba thought for minutes over his words.

"Well then we should leave now." She finally decided standing.

"Wait. I'm not even ready. I can't go without telling people or asking." Hunk said as Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Is that all you have to do?" Elphaba asked walking over to the window impatiently.

"Yes. I think so." He answered thinking for a second and then nodding. "Yes. That's all."

Elphaba nodded and then turned to him.

"Then go do that." Hunk smiled and ran down the stairs and out the barn door. Elphaba watched him run through the snow and into Dorothy's house quickly. If it were exactly like the Emerald City it would pretty much prove her thoughts on counterparts. Of everything. Even cities had counter parts and lands. Humans and animals had the most counterparts. Witches however seemed to not have counterparts. This confused her. If Glinda had a counterpart she was sure she would have met her. Or at least known of her. Elphaba thought over this for minutes and couldn't think of any explanation for this. Then she heard the door below open and footsteps climb the stairs. Hunk appeared at the top of the stairs smiling.

"Alright now we can go." He said shivering slightly. Elphaba stood up and threw her cape around her shoulders. Grabbing her bag full of her presents she moved over to the stairs with him.

"Alright let's go." Elphaba said stepping past him and walking quickly down the stairs and reaching the barn door before him.

"So, let me just do one more thing before we go." Elphaba rolled her eyes again and opened the door and walking out into the snow in her boots. She held her bag close to her and felt the contents. Her books were all at the bottom of the bag with the ruby slippers carefully on top of them. Hunk went ahead of her to Dorothy's home again and knocked on the door. Dorothy answered and hugged him tight.

"Bring back stories okay? Tell me everything." She told him smiling at Elphaba behind him.

"Alright. I promise I'll fill you in when I get back." Hunk assured her backing away from the door that she closed quickly. He went over to Elphaba and walked beside her out onto the dirt road covered with light snow. About a half an hour passed before they reached the train station. Hunk bought them tickets as Elphaba looked around the place curiously.

"Are you ready yet?" He asked finding her by the tracks and looking over the edge of the platform.

"Yes. I'm fine." She replied smiling at him and standing back as a whistle sounded. The train approached them and stopped just as a door came before them. Hunk stepped onto the train as the door opened and helped her on. She got on quickly with him and they found an empty compartment for them.

"We're finally going." Hunk said amazed sitting across from her.

"I told you we would." Elphaba said again looking out the window at the platform moving away from them. The counterpart thought still swirled in her mind as she watched the scenery outside the train. This city might give her the idea she needed. Or at least help.


	10. To Find Him

**Just to refresh your memory, I don't own Wicked. If I did I wouldn't be here. I would be investigating what I want to know at the Paris Opera House. That is all.**

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"Do I have a counter part?" Chistery asked intrigued by her discovery. At this point Elphaba had stopped from her story to grab something from a bag at her feet. So Chistery used her pause to ask a question of her.

Her head rose from the bag and gazed up at the monkey on the desk before her. She sat up again with something in her hand and composed an answer for him.

"I suppose you must. I hadn't really thought much about my acquaintances counterparts at that point. I was trying to get home mostly. If you do have a counterpart I would have to say it's Toto." Chistery listened patiently to her response until she actually answered him.

"What? The rat? Why?"

Elphaba laughed at this and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Not because of appearance, dear. Simply because he possesses the same loyalty for Dorothy that you possess towards me. Or more towards Nanny?"

Chistery didn't answer her question, but instead nodded his head slowly understanding this match.

"So, counterparts are not only looks, but personality?"

"Well in some cases it can be both. Some counterparts, as I discovered, possess the same personality traits and looks of his or her counterpart." Elphaba stated now revealing the bracelet to be in her hands.

Chistery looked at the bracelets she was toying with and then back up at her face. She seemed so distant. Her eyes glazed over as she stared out the large window at the west land of Oz. As if she was still in that other world. Instead of in front of him in Oz.

In truth she was thinking. Her mind drifted over her discovery and then to the fact she had found in the other world while with Hunk.

Fiyero is alive. He's somewhere in Oz. Elphaba thought fingering the bracelet in her cold hands.

If he is still here, then why can't I find him! Her thoughts yelled at her. Her hands became fists around the bracelet and she rose from the chair suddenly.

Chistery sat up at her sudden movement and followed as she made her way out of the tower room door. She was muttering hurriedly to herself as she moved quickly down the stairs.

"Without my broom this will be a hell of lot harder to find him." She said as she reached the bottom of the staircase and turned sharply into the kitchen.

Chistery followed her quickly in the room and saw her grab a bunch of food and gathered it all into the bag she had taken from the room. Quickly she slipped the bracelet onto her thin wrist.

"Where are you going?" Chistery asked her from a spot close to her on the counter.

"I am going to find him." She said simply throwing the bag over her shoulder and moving towards the door. He moved swiftly across the counter to a spot in front of him.

"Who?" He asked her pressing her for details on the man she wanted to find so bad. Elphaba faced him with excitement in her hazel eyes.

"Hunk's counterpart." She answered simply turning and leaving the kitchen. Chistery turned to the kitchen window and saw her run from the front stoop out of the front walk and into the dirt road. She looked confused on which way to go and completely dazed.

Chistery hurried to the tower room again and watched her make her way quickly down the traveling path. Worried about her, he spread his wings and took off from the window. He flew above her to keep an eye on her way. The usually calm and collected Witch seemed to be so confused and random. Her unnatural behavior startled him and still she seemed her normal self.


	11. Exactly Alike

**Disclaimer:_ I am not that _lucky duck person who owns Wicked. Just clearing that up. I don't own Hunk either okay? Okay.

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Elphaba found her way out of the Vinkus safely. Now she was utterly lost. She remembered this path, yes, but did not remember the way to go. 

"Damn." She whispered under her breath. Deciding that she could go no further without getting lost she walked to the trunk of a tree and sat against it. Chistery landed in the tree above her and watched curiously. The Witch rummaged through her bag, pulling out book after book, looking for something. Finally she pulled out what she had been looking for. The map she had mentioned in her story.

Chistery needed to know the rest of it. How it ended and what else she had learned. How did that map help her at all? He leaned forward on the branch and lost his balance. He fell to the ground just beside the Witch. Calmly she looked up and then back down at the map as if nothing had just happened.

"Are you alright dear?" She asked him distantly as if calling him. Chistery stood up and brushed himself off.

"Yes. I'm fine. " He answered her looking over her shoulder at the map. She didn't move it from his sight or hide it. Just allowed him to see it.

"How do you expect this map to help you?" He asked looking at her face instead. He noticed that her eyes were quickly moving from left to right across the page. Suddenly her eyes stopped at his questions and quickly moved to focus on him.

"Well, I learned that the Emerald City is almost exactly like, actually _is_ exactly the same as New York City." She explained to him turning back to the map.

"So, are you trying to find your way to it?"

"Yes, I am my dear." Elphaba replied scanning the page quickly. Chistery watched the page with her trying to read it, but he couldn't.

"So, what happens next?" Chistery asked walking over in front of her standing in her lap. She lowered the map to glare at him with her penetrating eyes. Then when he didn't leave her alone when she tried to continue, she sighed and finally lowered the map to the ground beside her.

"Alright." She said to the monkey who leaped forward and settled himself more comfortably on her lap. "Where was I?"

"You were on the train." Chistery said excitedly almost leaping in his seat. Elphaba nodded her head slightly as a smile came across her lips. She thought for a second to herself and then looked down at him.

"Right. I fell asleep and slept for most of the trip to New York City."


	12. Stars Above

**Hello! I have another chapter. These turn out to be very short so I'm trying to do something with them. Once again: I don't own anyone in this story or Wicked. Thank you.

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She didn't know how long it had been when she awoke with her head against the window. Sitting back in the seat she looked at him across from her. It was amazing how much he resembled Fiyero. It was almost an exact replica. 

Just then he woke up and found her looking at him. He sat up from lying with his head against the window and leaned back. "How long has it been?" He asked her drowsily looking out the window next to him. "I have no idea." Elphaba answered him fingering the bracelet around her wrist and looking outside as well. Hunk turned back around and propped his feet up on the seat beside her. _So like Fiyero_. Elphaba picked her head up and looked out the window. "So, why exactly are we going there again?" He asked her staring at the ceiling. A smirk made it's way onto Elphaba's face. _Fiyero's brains as well._ She thought turning her attention back to him. "Just to see it. To explore." She answered simply pulling her bag closer to her side and away from his boots.

Then the train stopped suddenly and people could be heard rising or falling from their seats throughout the train. Elphaba stood up and placed her bag over her shoulder gently turning towards the compartment door.

Hunk grabbed his bag from above his head and held it in his hands. It was only filled with needs for a trip. So, it did not matter to him whether or not they were handled with care.

They moved through the crowd of passengers to get off the train and stepped off it quickly. Not willing to leave the other they walked close together through the station basement. Making their way up to the main lobby they tried to figure out which way was out.

Then as they found the entrance hall both stopped short, breathless. The ceiling high above their heads was decorated with the constellations of this world. Elphaba's mouth was open slightly as her head went back to see the whole ceiling. Hunk smiled and took another step inside to see what was above them. "Wow." She said after a few minutes of astounded silence. Hunk looked down at her amazed expression and laughed slightly as she twirled around in slow circles to observe the whole sight.

He gripped her shoulders to stop her circling and she looked down at him. Her dark black hair fell slightly in front of her face as she turned. It's smooth appearance made it seem so much more touchable than the rest of her.

"Where are we supposed to go?" She asked him looking past him and around for an exit. Hunk looked behind him as well and then spotted a desk labeled: Customer Service. He gripped her hand tight and led her over to the desk. Hunk tapped the counter when no one paid attention to him and drawing no attention to them he slammed a fist down on the wood counter. One of the well-dressed men turned around and walked over to the couple. "What?" He asked irritated. "Where to we go?" The man laughed at Elphaba's question to him and then saw her serious face. He grabbed a map from behind the desk and handed it to them. Elphaba grabbed it before Hunk could even extend his hand and opened it to examine it. "That right there will give you all of New York City." He said grinning and turning away from them to his colleague. Hunk turned around to Elphaba who was scanning the map closely. "So, where do we go?" He asked her looking around at the many doors. Her head shot up and her hand gripped his tightly without her turning around to look. She pulled him towards the door stepped out and onto the New York street.


	13. Amazing Grace

**There I fixed it. Yes! I think. I know some stuff in here is wrong, but I needed to change it for my story. **

**Disclaimer I DO not OWN WICKED! There is no subliminal message there. wink wink**

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At first glance New York City looked like an exact replica of the Emerald City. Elphaba's mind spun at this fact swirling through her mind. It amazed her how this world could serve as a second Oz. 

Hunk was dumbfounded at the sight of the tall buildings. They seemed to connect heaven and earth. Elphaba looked just as stunned beside him. Although this was his first trip to this city, he felt like he knew it well.

His grip on her hand woke her from her daze and she turned to look at him. Her dark eyes met his brown ones and she smiled at him. He pulled her through the crowds of people lining the sidewalks to reach a corner to look around again.

"So where exactly do you think we should go? Now that we're here." He asked her gripping her hand tightly in his. He felt he should hold her close to keep her in his line of sight. This feeling he couldn't explain.

Elphaba was scanning the map in her other hand trying to find a way around. It seemed exactly like the Emerald City. If it was then why did she need a map. She already knew the city by heart. It was imprinted in her mind.

Without warning she pulled him around the corner and down the sidewalk quickly. Her grip grew tighter as she pulled him faster through the mass of people. Hunk was confused by her quick movements through the streets. A second ago she had been asking where to go. Now she seemed to know everything about it. He decided not to question it. She wouldn't give him a straight answer anyway.

Elphaba now led him across a street to a clearing that looked like it had recently been home to a rather large building. Hunk seemed stunned when he saw the scene before him. People around seemed shocked and were in tears. It was a place of tragedy.

According to Elphaba's memory, which was exceptional, this would've been one of the spot of the two side towers on the Wizard's palace. If it was destroyed in this world, maybe it was destroyed in her's. This idea lifted her spirits slightly and put her in a better mood after seeing the sight.

Hunk, however, was worried at this sight. If it had happened weeks ago he would've known. He wasn't that distanced from the outside world. Perhaps it only happened hours ago. Then the news couldn't have gotten here that fast. Could they?

Elphaba turned around startling him from his thoughts and searched for an explanation. Close by a woman was crying on the ground with her head in her hands with a man standing over her shoulder fighting tears. Slowly she pulled him over to the couple.

"Excuse me, but we have just arrived in this city hours ago. May we ask what happened here?" She asked them as politely as she could glancing at the ruins. The woman looked up for a second and then sobbed into the ground. The man turned away from the site and towards them. He too seemed to be fighting sorrow. Unlike the woman though, he seemed to be winning the battle.

"This is the site that used to hold the World Trade Center. Surly you know of them." The man told them his voice shaking only slightly.

Elphaba opened her mouth to retort, but Hunk nodded asking him to continue.

"Well, only hours ago, terrorist planes flew into it and collapsed them both. Luckily the news hasn't reported anything about it yet." He finished lowering his head and holding back the tears now in his eyes. Elphaba looked down at the woman and then back up at the man.

"That's terrible." Hunk said surprised that terrorists would attack this country. The U.S. was supposed to be a friendly country. Now attacked by terrorists randomly? It didn't make sense to him.

Elphaba was staring at the ruins now. She though of what she had been instructed to do. Now she wished she had succeeded in her goal instead of backing away. If she had done what she had been told instead of thinking maybe this wouldn't have happened. This thought made her mind go into a state of utter confusion. How would that have stopped this? It couldn't. She reassured herself as Hunk turned her around to face the street.

The man was still looking at them and keeping his gaze off the ruins of the buildings and off his partner.

"We lost our son. Or so we think." He said looking between them sorrow in his eyes. Elphaba now had tears in her own eyes. That's why I didn't do it. I would've killed innocent girls. These people killed innocent people. She thought to herself as her green hands shot up to cover her face.

She felt arms wrap around her and she fell into them. The only sound now was that of the woman's sobs for her son. Hunk ran his hand up and down her thin green arm trying to soothe her sorrow. Then broke the silence between the three.

"What did you mean by 'or so we think'?" He asked them man still never letting go of Elphaba.

"The rescue workers are still working on finding people buried in the rubble. We still have hope."

Elphaba lowered her hands from her face and looked at the man. Hope is a rare thing for a human to have. In Oz hardly anyone she knew had hope in their land. They had lost all hope, due to the Wizard.

"Hope is necessary." She said to him lifting her head up to meet his eyes. Their startling blue color reminded her somewhat of Glinda.

The woman turned around and faced them. Tears streaked her cheeks and left marks from them cascading down her cheeks. Her dirty blonde hair fell over her hair as she struggled to stand. The man helped her up. But just as she was standing she collapsed in his arms and whimpered softly into his shoulder.

Hunk looked at Elphaba who didn't seem to tear her eyes away from the couple before them. Tears seemed to be forming in her dark brown eyes as she watched. Then Hunk followed her gaze and saw she was looking past the couple.

The entire sidewalk was filled with crying women, men and children. Many of who were caring for each other. Hunk had always heard tragedies brought people closer, but had never seen it for himself. It appeared to be true.

The people all seemed to be one mourning family at this sight. The couple in front of them was only one pair in the many of people who had lost loved ones in this tragedy.

Elphaba walked past the couple brushing her emerald hand on the woman's shoulder as she passed. Hunk quickly followed her through the people. She seemed to walk as if in a trance. With every passing person she would look to them with genuine sorrow in her eyes. Hunk watched her from a few steps behind. Somehow she could feel these people's pain as if it were hers. If that was how all of Oz was, he thought it must be a wonderful place.

Suddenly a child ran out from behind the fence to the ruins and bumped right into Elphaba. Tears fell from the child's emerald eyes and gently trailed streaks along her cheeks. Elphaba looked around her for some sign that the child had a family. Abandoning this method she bent down to the child's height and looked into her eyes with her own.

"Do you know how to get home?" She asked her lovingly. So much care was in her voice Hunk was surprised as he heard it from behind her.

The little girl shook her head making her brunette curls bounce over her shoulders. Hunk gripped her shoulder as she did this and looked at the girl. Elphaba did not acknowledge his hand there, but kept her attention on the girl. "I always went home with...mother. After her work." She said through her tears now shaking slightly. Elphaba looked back up at the ruins behind the little girl. Her jeans were torn at the bottom and her shirt was covered in dust.

She looked up at Hunk behind her and met his gaze. Hunk understood her eyes. This child's mother died when the building collapsed. Elphaba embraced the small girl like a mother would her own child.

The small girl wrapped her frail arms around Elphaba's neck and she was lifted up in her thin green arms. She turned around to face Hunk with the girl crying into her shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" She asked him softly stroking the girls curly brown hair to calm her tears. Hunk shrugged and turned around to the crowd still mourning before them. He gripped her hand not supporting the child and pulled her through the crowd.

While letting herself be pulled Elphaba turned her attention to the child in her arms. Her tears were starting to slow slightly as she stroked her hair and calmed her down.

"So what of your father?" She asked the small girl softly. The girl raised her head still with tears rolling down her cheeks and shook her head. Elphaba nodded to show she understood without words. The girl doesn't have a father. Or the knowledge of one.

Hunk led them to a street corner and sat on the bench against the wall. Elphaba sat beside him keeping the girl in her lap. The girl lifted her head from her shoulder and looked at her face. She jumped slightly now realizing it was green. Elphaba met the girl's eyes silently and pleaded for her trust. She gained it. The girl embraced her like a friend or sister. Elphaba returned the gesture to her.

Hunk seemed shocked at her ability to gain trust easily. The girl seemed to be smiling now as they hugged each other. They broke the gesture and she looked at Elphaba again. Hunk moved closer to see her green eyes scanning around her curiously.

"You do have a name though?" Hunk said smiling at her. She giggled at this and met his gaze. Her eyes were the most startling color of green. Other than Elphaba's skin color.

"Of course." She said in a soft, sweet voice. Somewhat like Dorothy's except more tolerable.

"I'm Grace. I prefer just to be called that." She told them looking back and forth from Elphaba to Hunk.

"I'm Elphaba and this is Hunk." She told Grace motioning towards him beside her. He waved kindly and she giggled at him again. Hunk looked around the street again. A concerned look in his eyes. Grace laid her head on Elphaba's shoulder and yawned wearily. As soon as Grace fell asleep against her she turned to Hunk her care turning to worry.

"Where are we going to take her? We have no where to go." She asked him glancing around the city for anywhere they could possibly go for shelter. Elphaba looked at Grace in her lap and then back at Hunk awaiting his answer.

"Don't worry. I've been looking around the city and I've found signs and advertisements for hotels and apartments."

"Let's look for an apartment." Hunk nodded in agreement with this but then looked down in his bag. He pulled out a small leather wallet and opened it to reveal only about a hundred dollars or so, which he had saved from his work.

Elphaba pulled her bag up onto the bench and ransacked the inside of it searching for something. She then pulled out her own black wallet and handed it to him. He opened it to reveal many hundred-dollar bills, a couple fifties and twenties, and some coins.

"Where did you get all this money." He asked her stunned at the amount she had hid from him for all this time.

"The Wizard changed the Ozian currency to these. I figured they might be of some use in this. Turns out they're your currency. " She replied smiling at him and shifting Grace in her lap.

Hunk took her wallet in his bag with his and stood up. Elphaba struggled trying to stand up with the child and her bag, but did nonetheless. Hunk grabbed her bag from her and slung it over his own shoulder. He extracted the map from her bag and looked it over.

"This way." He said gripping her hand in his and pulling her down the sidewalk again. Elphaba let herself be led to focus on Grace in her care. Hunk led her quickly down at least five or six blocks until they reached an apartment building.

Elphaba scanned the building for seconds before following Hunk inside. They walked down a hallway until they reached a small office in the wall at the end near a staircase.

"Yes?" A man's voice said rather loudly as the approached the desk area. Elphaba covered Grace's ears to let her sleep and glared at the man behind the counter. Hunk folded the map and turned to the man addressing him.

"We would like a room." He said to him leaning over the counter to look behind. The man looked up from his computer for seconds and then at Elphaba and Grace.

"For three? Like three beds?" He asked them clicking the mouse furiously and glancing up at the screen.

"No. Any room." Elphaba said quickly as Hunk went to answer him. "Any free room that you can give us."

"I have one room, but it's a two bedroom, small apartment." Hunk glanced at Elphaba concerned and then back at the man.

"We'll take it." She said looking at Hunk who nodded and pulled out the wallets. He quickly paid and received a key to the room. Hunk led her and Grace up to the room and opened it in seconds. Elphaba walked right by him into the room without looking at the room. She found the smaller bedroom and laid Grace down on the bed gently. Then she came back out to Hunk who was looking out the window at the streets below.

It was small, but it was a home for the three of them to live in for their entire stay in New York City.

Elphaba walked over to the window with him and stared out at the city. The streets below seemed so peaceful when one was not on them. The sky began to darken and turn to a shade of orange as the sun went down.

"So, how do you plan to take care of Grace?" Hunk suddenly asked her. She turned away from the sunset to find him watching her. She studied him for seconds and then looked into the apartment behind her.

"I'm not really sure yet. Usually I have a plan, but this little girl came so quickly that I'm not even thinking ahead." Hunk almost instinctively moved closer to her by the window and looked out again. "I'm sure you'll figure something out." He whispered smiling out at the sun now disappearing behind a building. At that moment the city darkened completely and all the lights seemed to be extinguished.

Hunk turned around and flicked on the television in front of the couch behind them and flipped through the channels until he reached the news.

"Look! It's the World Trade Center." He said looking behind him at Elphaba who had turned to see. On the screen there was live camera footage of flowers being placed along the fence and people lining the fence either caring or crying. The people seemed to become one large family who gathered together at this one spot. From the camera angle all they could see was the people there. The area itself seemed to not be showed on film.

Then a man spoke to the crowd. Trying to comfort them with his words of hope and peace and of caring for these people's families. As he finished his speech more men stood up and addressed the crowd. Hunk leaned over the back of the couch to watch and Elphaba feeling tired of speeches turned to look back at the city. It had been completely consumed by darkness now. Every building seemed to put out their lights. For some reason everyone wanted darkness.

Soft footsteps made her turn around to see Grace standing beside her. Hunk had turned also to face the girl who had just appeared. She stood beside Elphaba and looked out at the city with her. Elphaba exchanged a smiled with Hunk before he turned back to the news and she to the city.

Grace moved closer and wrapped her small arm around Elphaba's waist. She placed her arm around her as she continued to watch the city moving below. As the speaking on the television stopped the movement in the city below seemed to as well. Hunk turned around to look at the city with the girls. Grace strained to see over the railing or beyond the sky above her.

Hunk lifted her up and sat her on top of the railing so she could see. Holding her there protectively after receiving a nervous glance from Elphaba he returned his attention to the city.

"What's going on?" Hunk said asking no one in particular. Merely just wondering out loud. Suddenly two large spotlights shot up in two large tower streaks lines into the sky. Hunk glanced back at the screen and on it was the same image.

Grace had tears forming in her eyes as she looked at it. Sensing this Elphaba wrapped her green arm around her waist and pulled her back off the railing. Lifting her up in her arms she wiped the tears now trailing down her cheeks and smiled at her.

Hunk watched the lights for a few seconds and then turned to Elphaba and Grace. She seemed as if she was her mother. Every interaction her and this child had seemed like a mother and daughter connection. It startled him how she could be this way with a child so quickly. Then it made his heart melt. The young girl rested her head on Elphaba's shoulder and looked back at the pillars of light that now glowed in the darkness around the city.

Grace was calming slightly and then seemed to calm even more as Elphaba began to sway back and forth. This green witch could've been this child's mother without even trying at all. She seemed to know just how to calm her even though she didn't seem to know her very well.

Then without any warning to Hunk, Elphaba sung to the child. At first it was too soft for him to hear. Then as it grew in volume he recognized it. The traditional song to sing at a funeral. In fact the perfect song for right now.Amazing grace! How sweet the sound  
That saved a wretch like me!  
I once was lost, but now am found;  
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,  
And grace my fears relieved;  
How precious did that grace appear  
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,  
I have already come;  
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,  
And grace will lead me home.Grace was lulled off to sleep by Elphaba's angelic singing and now had her head lying on her shoulder. Elphaba turned to Hunk and then back inside the apartment. She turned around a corner and was gone into Grace's claimed room.

Hunk turned back to the lights still shining in the form of the towers that had recently fallen. His mind was still reeling from her unexpected, voice. It sounded as if an angel had possessed her voice and only her voice. The rest of her was a witch. Though a feeling told him she wasn't as wicked as the rest of them say she is.

Elphaba returned just then and came back to where the window was. She smiled at him as she lifted herself onto the railing and sat with her legs dangling over the edge. Her skirts blew from side to side in the changing city wind. She seemed to be staring out at the lights with such a serious expression on her face.

Hunk moved to her side leaning over the railing to look out. His arms propping him up by her side. Elphaba glanced down at him with no trace of a smile this time.

"What's wrong?" He asked her. Her deep brown eyes had now moved back to stare at the pillars of light.

"Nothing." She lied. She didn't even seem to try to convince him that it was nothing with her tone. Though that wouldn't have worked either.

"Please, I know you're lying." Hunk said turning around to see her face. She turned to face him sighing slightly feeling there was no point to argue.

"I'm just worried for Grace. She is so young and to have lived through something like this. Which took her mother away from her..." Hunk stopped her by shaking his head furiously at her statement.

"No. We don't know that she is dead." Elphaba looked at him and shrugged defeatedly turning away to the lights again. "You sing beautifully." He added trying to start some sort of conversation, but with her it seemed impossible for him to start a conversation that didn't make him seem stupid.

"Thank you." She simply replied not turning to look at him. He moved closer turning to look out at the lights again and sighed. He looked below and saw people watching the lights from the streets most just stopped to see them. Some were on their knees praying for the lives lost and their families. Others were looking up at their apartment. Had they heard her singing and looked up for the sound? Hunk wouldn't have blamed them. If he had heard it from below he would have looked to the sky for the heavenly sound. He turned back to Elphaba finally getting an idea for conversation.

"So, what are the sleeping arrangements?" He asked her trying to sound bright to turn her attention away from the pillars. She turned her head to look at him curiously for a few seconds and then looked at the apartment behind her.

"What do you mean?" She asked him turning her eyes back to stare into his.

"Well, there's only one other bed and the couch. So, unless you want to share a..." He stopped as her head began to shake furiously just as she figured out where he was heading with this.

"Alright then I'll sleep one the couch." He said turning to the apartment and going to prepare his makeshift room. Then Elphaba twirled around on the railing and grabbed his arm to stop him.

"No. I'll sleep there." She said sliding off onto her feet gracefully. He turned around to face her eyes wide with confusion.

"What?"

"I'm sleeping on the couch and I'm not arguing this." She said walking past him and grabbing her cape from her bag and carrying it to the couch. Hunk walked past her and to the remaining bedroom seeing that she wouldn't let him sleep there even if he fought with her until the sun came up.

She laid down on the couch with the cape pulled over her. Hunk looked at her from his own bedroom and then began to close the door.

"Goodnight Hunk." She said as the door closed. He opened it quickly then and smiled.

"Goodnight Elphaba." He replied finally closing the door and walking to his bed. He lay over the covers and fell asleep right there. The world outside the apartment seemed nonexistent as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.


	14. More of a Mother

**This chapter is short yes I know, but only because the next one will be long. Or longer than my others. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or Wizard of Oz or the song in here. If I did...well you basically know due to all the other things other authors say when they have to write this. That is all!

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**He awoke at an early hour in the morning. He could tell by the visible pillars of light still shining brightly in the semi darkness outside the window. He sat straight up and looked around. He could hear Elphaba's voice talking sweetly. He quickly jumped up and opened the door. She wasn't on the couch and the light in Grace's room flooded the hallway just beyond it.

Hunk moved quietly across the room to the outside of the door. He pressed himself up against the wall to listen to them. Elphaba seemed to be comforting the small child. Who seemed to be in great distress. He heard them talking a little louder than a whisper to each other like mother and daughter.

"Relax. Everything is fine."

"How? I can't go back to sleep now." The girl whined in a high pitched, squeaky voice filled with fear.

"Why is that?" Came Elphaba's voice softly and calmly.

"I'll have nightmares about the disaster. And another happening. Killing more and more people." The child burst into tears at this point. He glanced around the doorframe to peer at the two. Elphaba had pulled the girl into an embrace rubbing her arm slowly to calm her down.

"That won't happen again. Not anytime soon anyway. They will no doubt do all they can to prevent another disaster such as this one was." She said to the girl. The tears seemed to slow at this and her crying slowed as well.

"I'll still dream about it."

"Maybe I can prevent that." She told the girl. Hunk could just imagine her smile as he hid himself behind the doorframe.

"How?" The girl asked her curiosity apparent in her voice.

"Well, I know a lullabye that might give you dreams instead of nightmares." She said immediatly grasping the childs attention with her news. He looked carefully around the corner of the wall and saw her lift the girl up into her crossed lap and turn her to face her. Grace's eyes were already fluttering closed so no matter what she sang to her she would probably fall asleep. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." The young girl insisted he saw the green witch tickle her stomach lovingly to get her to giggle and then actually giggle herself. Either the stories Dorothy told him were a his imagination drifting off or they were completely wrong in every sense. He supposed Dorothy hadn't seen this side of her. Then again maybe no one had.

"Are you sure?" The witch asked playfully before stopping her own laughter to prepare to sing. Hunk could see she already knew the answer to her question by the way she sat up straight on the edge of the bed.

"Yes." Grace continued to insist giggling as she said so and looking expectantly at Elphaba. He saw her lips curl up into a smile as the girl said this and wrap her green arms around the small child. He then heard Elphaba inhale deeply and then heard her angel like voice once again fill the apartment.

_When the last eagle flies  
Over the last crumbling mountain  
And the last lion roars  
At the last dusty fountain  
In the shadow of the forest  
Though she may be old and worn  
They will stare unbelieving  
At the Last Unicorn_

_When the first breath of winter_  
_Through the flowers is icing_  
_And you look to the north_  
_And a pale moon is rising_  
_And it seems like all is dying_  
_And would leave the world to mourn_  
_In the distance hear the laughter_  
_Of the Last Unicorn_  
_I'm alive... I'm alive_

_When the last moon is cast  
Over the last star of morning  
And the future is past  
Without even a last desperate warning  
Then look into the sky where through  
The clouds a path is formed  
Look and see her how she sparkles  
It's the Last Unicorn  
I'm alive... I'm alive _

Her voice had lulled the young girl into another peaceful sleep. She carefully placed the girl down and tucked her in as if she were her mother. Hunk smiled to himself and walked slowly back to his own room. He heard Elphaba step out from the room and stop just as she saw him. He grinned at her as he closed the door catching the sly grin on her own face.

Her singing seemed to be the greatest sound he had ever heard. Even hearing church bells ring every Sunday morning wasn't even able to compare to her angelic voice. He thought about her words in his head over and over in his bed.


	15. Bush Bashing and Rainbows

**This chapter is longer and I'm happy about that fact right there. Anyway, here is the new chapter. That's all I have to do today.**

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Elphaba saw him return to his own room. Had she awoken him? Did she disturb him? She must have been loud when singing her lullaby. It had been her own creation to calm herself. Apparently it had the same effect on others. It now occurred to her how she treated this child. Grace seemed to inspire some sort of motherly nature in her. Even with Liir it hadn't shown itself. Now with a child she didn't even know very well or at all her mother instincts showed themselves. 

Though she had already met Grace she already felt like she knew her. She wanted to care for this child. Unlike Liir who she hadn't wanted in the first place. Elphaba walked out to the balcony and looked out again. It may be small but at least it has a balcony. Although Liir had been Fiyero's flesh and blood, so that could be the reason she had shown him no motherly qualities. She didn't want to think of Fiyero at the time. Now that she knew he was alive she had no problem being motherly. Even if the child wasn't hers. She leaned over the railing with her weight on her thin green arms. Thoughts raced through her mind as she surveyed the city in the sun's soft light. Still maybe she liked the child because she seemed a lot like herself. No. That was the first thing that came to her mind as this thought it. Then reasoning came to her thoughts.

"Yet, she is somewhat like me." Elphaba told herself smiling slightly at the streets below. "She is lonely, outcast, and different. As am I."

"You forgot to mention that she's charming, intelligent, and beautiful." She turned to see Hunk standing in the doorway to the balcony already dressed. He wore old blue jeans and a plaid button down shirt. Just like if he was still at the farm.

"I was only listing things she has in common with me." Elphaba said turning back to the sunrise over the tall skyscrapers.

"So was I." He said moving over beside her and leaning over the railing with her. Elphaba blushed a deeper shade of emerald and looked away. Hunk smiled down at the streets and watched the people below him. Elphaba turned back to look at Hunk next to her trying to think of something to say. Her words had gone dry. For once in her life Elphaba Thropp was speechless.

"Did I leave the witch wordless?" Hunk said looking at her smiling slightly at his own words. She shook her head gently and pouted her dark lips.

"No. I was only..."

"Thinking of a smart reply?" Hunk said turning his wholeself to face her and now smiling completely. Elphaba's green color deepened as a way of blushing as her eyes went wide.

"No. I was just thinking of what to do today in the city." Elphaba quickly made up starring straight into his eyes. Hunk's smile faded and a smirk replace it. His eyes met hers and seemed to see right through the lie.

"Alright. Well what did you come up with?" Hunk asked her purposely meaning to prove his thoughts on the lie. Elphaba parted her lips to answer when Grace appeared in the doorway.

Saved by the Grace. "Yes?" Elphaba asked her lowering herself to her level. Grace smiled weakly at her and then glanced at Hunk for seconds before answering her.

"Nothing. I was just wondering where you went." She said as if she had been worried.

"Dear, I'm not leaving." Elphaba reassured her in a comforting, motherly tone. Hunk smiled down at the girl who seemed to be afraid of him for some reason. Grace wrapped her small pale arms around Elphaba's neck and she lifted her up in her green arms. Turning to face Hunk with the girl in her arms as she stood back up.

It amazed Hunk less than it surprised Elphaba herself. Why did she act like this? It came almost naturally and she couldn't hold it back. This girl inspired some weird type of motherly instincts in her. She didn't know what to do about them, but stopping these feelings was out of the question.

Hunk found it sweet to see her act motherly. In all Dorothy's stories about this green skinned Wicked Witch she had been ugly and evil. Yet, now she wasn't even close to her descriptions. She was kind, caring, and beautiful. Despite the green he seemed drawn to her. It was as if he had known her for years and years and was reunited with her. Still Hunk knew _he_ had never met anyone who was ...like her. If he had a counterpart in Oz though, maybe he knew her.

As soon as the thought occurred to him he remembered what she had told him. _You are exactly like Fiyero in appearance. _What relations did she have with Fiyero? Friends or more than that? He quickly shook the thought from his head and back to the green woman in front of him. The young girl in her thin arms was staring over her shoulder at the city behind. Since the towers fell the entire city seemed to be silent.

"So, what is going on today?" Hunk asked tearing his gaze away from Elphaba and Grace and looking out at the city.

"I believe the city is having a memorial service for the...deceased." Elphaba replied as Grace turned around to face them. She still smiled despite the tragedy that she had witnessed yesterday. This startled Elphaba more than anything about the child did. That she still seemed happy even after a horrible event.

"Can we go? Please?" Grace pleaded almost jumping in Elphaba's arms. Elphaba laughed softly and looked at the small child.

"Sure we can go." At her answer the child really jumped in her arms and wrapped her small arms around her green neck again. 'We will right?' She mouthed at Hunk over the child's shoulder.

"Yes." He said laughing himself as Grace turned around to look at him behind her. "We'll go." Elphaba returned the smile and turned around to go back inside with the girl. A few seconds passed and then she appeared once more at the balcony doors. Hunk turned to look at her as Grace appeared just behind her.

"Let's go then." Elphaba said turning on her heel causing her skirts to twirl around her as she moved towards the door. Grace jumped behind her to her side and Hunk followed them both. With Elphaba leading the way they went down the stairs and prepared to step back out on the streets of New York. Elphaba gripped Grace's hand tightly in her own and looked at Hunk once more before stepping into the streets as if into a battlefield.

Hunk followed just behind the girls at a slower pace. Grace never ceased her jumping steps. He could see Elphaba glance at her from time to time and smile. Her hair covered half of her green face to replace her hat, which she held in her hand not holding Grace. Her bag was once again over shoulder and she kept one hand over it at all times. Hunk watched around them and noticed that many more people than usual were wearing black. This seemed to highlight Elphaba's skin color more than anything else around them. More New Yorkers seemed to stare as she passed, but she didn't seem to notice any of them.

Hunk moved up to Elphaba's other side and walked beside her. She unfurled her hat with one movement and with one more had it on her head. Grace glanced up and didn't seem to care that she now looked like a witch more than anything else. In fact she seemed to like the idea. Hunk gripped Elphaba's now free hand as they approached the place now called 'Ground Zero' by the city. She seemed startled and looked over at him who just smiled in answer. As if this was enough of an answer she turned back to Grace who was closer to her now.

"What do we do?" She asked now pressed against her thin waist and looking up at her. Elphaba looked down and met her gaze under the brim of her hat. Grace had stopped moving at the fence around it and awaited her answer. Hunk stopped too, but behind them. She bent down to Grace's level and looked her straight in the eye.

"We pay our respects to our loved ones who are now..." She stopped thinking of the words to use. Hunk saw her look at him for help and bent down too.

"Who are now in heaven." He finished for her. Beside him Elphaba let out a soft breath of relief as Grace smiled in acceptance of this answer. Hunk smiled in return and met the child's startling emerald eyes and she met his own blue ones.

Suddenly the young girl embraced him tightly in her small pale arms. Elphaba stood to her full height in front of them and smiled down. Hunk seemed momentarily stunned by this action but then returned the embrace. He slowly stood up with the girl in his arms and looked at the green witch standing before him. Hunk handed her the child and she held her tightly in her own arms making eye contact now and again with him and Grace in turn.

More and more people filed around the fence guarding off the area of ruins. And waited for someone to speak.

"Look!" Grace said pointing behind Elphaba and causing her to turn around to look. An immense black limousine pulled up to the sight and stopped just at the curb followed by many more. Multiple men in black suits stepped out and waited for someone in the first car.

"It's the President." Someone said behind them in the crowd. She felt her fists clench at these words. _President _wasn't that far away from _tyrant. _Hunk saw her tense up almost immediately after these words were said. He gripped her hand and Grace's tightly in his own rough ones and stood with them on either side of him. The door opened and a man ste4pped out in a blue suit instead of black which surrounded them. _This man doesn't care. Or doesn't think that he should wear black to a tragic even to show that he cares. _Elphaba thought glaring at him from under the brim of her hat.

Hunk ran his thumb over her green knuckles to calm her or get her grip to loosen on his hand. He was beginning to lose feeling in his hand.

"Elphaba," He whispered so Grace wouldn't hear him. "What is it?"

"I instantly don't like him." She hissed back through clenched teeth. "How has he become this?"

Hunk realized her feelings toward President Bush. She thought him something like the Wizard. Did he look like him?

"We vote for him. A democracy." He replied letting out a sigh of relief as her hand loosened it's gripped.

"Something about him still doesn't feel right to me." She said a little louder than a whisper. Grace looked up and saw that they had been conversing between each other in secret and looked sad for a few minutes before the Presidents strong accented voice rang out from a podium behind them.

"Good morning New York." He began trying to be cheery though it was apparent it was fake. Elphaba rolled her eyes at his attempt and pulled her hand out of Hunk's grasp to cross her arms across her chest. Grace smiled up at Hunk and he replied with a weak one of his own. She peered past him at Elphaba and looked worried for her.

Elphaba's mind was already working on something. A plan or something like one to stop this madness. His horrible attempt at cheerfulness reminded her of Glinda's failed attempt to distract them from thoughts of her. The man still continued to speak in his cheerful tone though the people around didn't seem to like him. She smirked as she realized that these people held no respect for this man. At least not anymore. The crowd still clapped after he spoke, but with little enthusiasm and no one laughed at his attempts to make a joke. Even when he laughed himself no one backed him up.

"Elphaba, should we go?" Hunk's words shook her from her thoughts and back to the crowd around her. Grace was now on her other side listening to the mans words. Elphaba bent down and picked her up so she could see the man better. Grace looked away instead to meet Elphaba's gaze. She quickly gave the stunned Hunk the young girl and turned on her heel.

"Elphaba what's going on?" Hunk asked holding Grace with one strong arm and gripping her wrist with the other.

"I have to do something." She said pulling her arm. His grasp on her only tightened as she pulled.

"What?" He pressed stopping her from moving away. She pulled harder and then realizing that it was useless to fight his strong grasp she stopped pulling. Grace thankfully was still watching the President, though like the rest of the crowd she showed no emotion as he spoke. It seemed to be something like a normal reaction.

"I don't really no yet, but being who I am, I have to do something." Elphaba replied glancing around at people in the crowd. Her gaze found the man on stage and he seemed to see her too. He stopped speaking at that moment and silence fell. The man seemed to be dumbstruck as he caught sight of her hat.

"Good God." He muttered into the microphone. The crowd seemed to turn in unison to face her and stare at her, Hunk and Grace at the back. Hunk moved out in front of her, but wasn't able to hide the top of her hat behind him. He felt Elphaba's thin green arms move through his to grab Grace in her own arms. As soon as she had her in her own grasp she turned sharply on her heel and ran. Hunk turned around to see her running through the streets stopping traffic in her wake.

He ran after her hearing yells and shouts behind him. He had no clue exactly why he was running and he assumed she didn't know exactly why either. Perhaps it was just instinct, but still he couldn't tell. He watched her round a corner and heard men closer behind him. It was then that he realized that he had stopped moving. They stopped on either side of him and some walked in front of him.

"The President requests an audience with you." One said strongly standing tall.

"Why?" Hunk retorted. He had no business to talk to him about. What did he want with Elphaba? What did he know about her?

"Just come." The on ordered as he ordered the rest of the men to circle him. He looked back at the stage and saw the President getting into his limousine and slamming the door behind him.

"Why does he want me?" He would not go with them unless he had an answer. Whatever this man wanted to know he could ask him anywhere. The man just grabbed his arm and steered him over to the limousine, opened the door and pushed him inside to speak with the President.

Elphaba had run into an alleyway and using her free arm had climbed up a ladder on the brick wall to the rooftop. She then set Grace down on the cement and looked over the side. The green witch watched horrified as Hunk was pushed inside the car of the President.

The man had reminded her so much of the Wizard that she had only thought of one option when he saw her: run. So she had. Though now she had no idea what to do. She sat on the edge watching as the car sat there and wondering what was happening within. With one swift motion of her hand she removed her hat and threw it beside her. Grace moved to lean against her back humming to herself. Elphaba waited the inevitable, which was bound to come, and it did.

"Why did we run?" She asked moving to see her eyes, which never left the vehicle, which held Hunk. Grace sat on the edge with her back to the street and her eyes straining to meet Elphaba's.

"I can not say. It just felt...necessary at the time." She answered slowly moving her head to meet Grace's eyesight. She nodded as if accepting this answer and looked behind her at the street.

A crowd had formed around the car and cameramen were fruitlessly trying to snap shots of the man who had been allowed inside. Grace turned her gaze back to the green woman beside her who then sighed deeply as she watched.

"Everything's going to be okay, right?" She asked glancing back down at the street. Elphaba lifted the small girl up in her arms and held her close to her, as a mother would do with their own child.

"Yes, everything will be alright."

Hunk faced the President of the U.S. with extreme confusion. The President before him smiled weakly at him and then glanced wearily out the window.

"Who was that woman?" He asked leaning forward as if someone was listening.

"Why do you want to know?" Hunk retorted to the man who believed himself to be great for this country. Hunk who used to support him had now lost all liking for him.

He sighed and leaned back against the door. "She's green. There may be something wrong with..."

"There is nothing wrong with her!" Hunk interrupted seeing where this was going. This 'leader' was so naive he began to wonder how he got himself elected.

"I'm not to sure about that sir. It may be..."

"It's not anything! She is fine. It's her natural skin color! It's not any new type of cancer or anything like that." The man across from him seemed shocked like no one had ever spoken to him like that and indeed no one had.

"That is fine for you to say, but maybe she should be put under surveillance..." He was interrupted again by a very furious Hunk.

"No! What is wrong with you! She is just an innocent woman..." It was now the president's turn to shout at him.

"An innocent _green _woman, who may be danger to a country I was given to protect." Hunk leaned back against the door thinking over what to say in return. "If she is dangerous I must make sure I keep an eye one her movements."

"That's discrimination. Even if it is green, it still is unfair. You are so naive. Look at other people instead to put the blame on when in reality this is _your _fault." The President adjusted himself to look taller as anger flamed his eyes and his voice.

"Get out! Leave my presence now!" Hunk gladly opened the door to the car and backed out. The President also backed out of the other side and opened his mouth to say something, but was distracted by something. Hunk had also been about to speak when he had been distracted by a sound behind him. He turned and found a crowd gathered at the bottom of a building across the street and staring up at the top. He followed their gaze until it rested upon two figures at the top. One a small figure in the others arms and the other taller and was the source of the beautiful sound.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows  
And what's on the other side?  
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,  
And rainbows have nothing to hide.  
So we've been told and some choose to believe it  
I know they're wrong, wait and see.  
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,  
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered  
When wished on the morning star?  
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,  
And look what it's done so far.  
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing  
And what do we think we might see?  
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,  
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell,  
We know that it's probably magic...

... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices?  
I've heard them calling my name.  
... Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?  
The voice might be one and the same  
I've heard it too many times to ignore it  
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...  
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,  
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

Camera flashes went off all over the street corner taking pictures o9f the woman and child on the roof. Hunk saw her look down and seem frozen for seconds at the sight. The girl had fallen asleep in her arms and looked peaceful from where they were looking.

The President grabbed a megaphone from a man standing nearby and went forward to address the green witch.

"Miss? Please don't hurt the child." The green woman rolled her eyes along with her head at this statement to her. "Why would I hurt her?" Her voice seemed to echo throughout the street. It still sounded beautiful like her singing was but harder than her song to the child. "Do you assume me to be evil, Mr. President."

Hunk looked around him for some way up and saw a hidden ladder against the wall of an alleyway. Quietly he moved behind the crowd to the alley and gripped one steel ring to pull himself up.

"No no no no, I just..." The President seemed shocked by how he was being addressed and was at a loss for words. In truth he really had assumed her evil immediately just because of how she looked. And in reality she did look evil at first glance.

"You just assumed me to be an evil, killer because that's what I look like." She shot at him. The man even staggered back as if he had been hit with a bullet. Whatever she said seemed to leave him speechless. "Mr. President, you need a brain."

She stood up and turned her back to the crowd. Hunk had been standing just out of the crowd's sight behind her listening to her speak. Elphaba handed him Grace with a few quick movements and a spin to face the crowd again. Hunk backed farther out of sight onto the roof and watched her.

"I have one thank you very much." He fired back after many seconds of silence in which he thought of what to say. The secret service seemed to be talking amongst themselves thinking she wasn't paying attention to them at all. They were mistaken.

"Then you obviously don't use it as often as normal human beings. Or you simply don't know how to." He was left dumbstruck again for seconds as he thought of how to handle this. If he had been carrying a gun at the time he would've shot her himself. Which would have been the end of his political career for good.

"I do use it. I have to use my brain to make very important decisions. Such as this: GET HER!" His secret service men immediately moved around the building to attempt to find a way up to her. At his words Elphaba moved back away from the edge and back to Hunk. She quickly took Grace into her own arms and looked around.

"There is no way out. We're trapped." Hunk stated realizing that the men below had surrounded the building and were probably making their way up from the inside.

"There is one way. I remember it, but I need...something." She said looking around frantically as she spoke. Spotting something she once again gave the child to Hunk and ran over to grab it. She came back with a broom in her hands.

"Of course. The witch fly's on a broom." Hunk said watching her drop it on the ground before her. Her head snapped around to meet his gaze with her own glare.

"Very funny." She remarked turning back to the broom. Waving her hands over the object before her and chanting inaudibly. Hunk turned to look around him and to his horror he saw many more police cars approaching the street.

Behind him Elphaba let out a cry of joy as the broom flew a few feet in the air. "I got it right!" She said happily as she saw Hunk turn on his heel to see her. The broom started to rise higher into the air until it reached a height that Elphaba could mount at.

"Wait are we all going to ride on that thing?" Hunk asked suddenly looking worried. Elphaba stood up and gripped it tightly in one hand.

"Actually I can only ride with two." She said glancing at Grace asleep in his arms and then meeting his gaze. Hunk nodded quickly and moved closer to give her the girl. "Hunk understand that I don't..."

"I do understand your reasons. I'll stay behind. Go to the apartment and I'll just find you there." Elphaba closed her eyes for seconds with Grace in her arms. Hunk lifted her head up making her look at him.

"Come on Elphaba, you're the Wicked Witch of the West, you're going to find a way out of this." A smile spread across her lips, which startled Hunk slightly. Elphaba's own eyes seemed locked with his. With Grace was the only thing between them his mind began to reel as he realized this. Elphaba seemed to realize it to for she broke eye contact and began to move back to mount the broom.

As if by instinct he gripped her forearm and pulled her back locking her lips with his. Her eyes went wide for seconds before relaxing at his touch. His hands cupped her cheeks gently to deepen the kiss before she had to run. Sensing his urgency she allowed him entrance and relished every moment and every movement his tongue made in her own mouth. Her own tongue became just as brave and explored his mouth as well before they were broken apart by a loud siren below them.

"Go." He whispered softly before turning to look over the edge of the building. The men were devising a plan to trap them on the roof and then invade. Elphaba was still standing in the same spot stunned by his actions and her own. "Will you go."

She turned on her heel and with the child securely in her care and ran to the edge of the rooftop. She mounted her broom sidesaddle and looked over at him before leaving. As the broom rose into the air she smiled weakly at him. "Be careful." She said sternly.

"You be careful." He replied turning fully to watch her go. A full smile now spread across her lips as she rose up higher and turned to fly westward. The sirens stopped and so did the sound as the people below caught sight of the flying witch carrying a child.

And there fly's the Wicked Witch of the West. Or in this case the Wicked Witch of the East Coast. God knows she'll come up with something to protect herself and Grace. After all she is the Wicked Witch. No, my _Wicked Witch._


	16. A Loss of Time

**New Chapter. Yes! Alright I have kind of taken a short break in typing my stupid one, but I plan to type it over the break coming. I already have it written yes I write them first and I will type them then. I write them during Religion and Reading classes. Sometimes Spanish, but that wasn't today. Anyway, that's not the point.**

* * *

Elphaba frantically moved about there small apartment. After she had landed through the open balcony doors and laid Grace in her bed she had been moving aimlessly around thinking of what to do. Usually she had a plan or a vague outline of one. Now she had simply been spontaneous and left Hunk to deal with it. 

She had never been able to sit still in circumstances where she knew nothing about the goings on. She grabbed her broom from the corner of the room and moved to the railing of the balcony to take off. Then she stopped short as a thought occurred to her. _Grace. _That simple thought had stopped her from leaping off in search of him. She couldn't leave her alone. Something made her think that she could never leave her alone. A motherly instinct again.

Dropping her broom she put her head in her hands and moaned as she fell to the ground on the balcony. _I lost Fiyero years ago. Why would it be any different with his counterpart? They're basically the same person in two different worlds. Now I've destroyed them both. _Her head spun and she looked up just slightly to see the street through the bars in the railing.

"I kill everyone who comes in contact with me." She whispered a tear forming in her eye as she lowered her head again into her hands. "I am such a...a...witch."

"So it's true then?" A small voice behind her questioned her statement. Elphaba's head shot up and turned quickly at the voice.

"What is true?" She questioned in return turning on the ground to face the child. Grace moved forward and knelt in front of her on the hard ground.

"That you're a witch." Grace clarified sitting down on the ground and trying to see her eyes. Elphaba wasn't meeting her gaze, but seeing her determination let out a sigh of surrender.

"Yes. I am." She finally answered meeting the child's now wide green eyes. They seemed to reflect her own skin color within them. They darted to the broom at her side and then to the witch's eyes.

"Can you fly on that?" She whispered a smile playing at the corner of her pale lips. This shocked the witch more than anything. She looked confused for a few short seconds before nodding her head to the child.

"Yes, that's how we got here." Grace's mouth fell open at this news and then closed in a look of great annoyance.

"I get to ride on a broom and I can't even remember it." She said crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at the broom. Elphaba laughed and picked up the broom to lay it across her lap.

"We could go right now?" She suggested a smile now on her own face as the same expression spread across the child's.

"Oh that would be so much fun!" Grace exclaimed jumping to her feet and running to the railing. "Let's go!" Elphaba rose to her feet as well with her broom in one hand.

"First, rules," Grace turned around a smile still on her face as Elphaba said this and she began to bounce on her heels. "One, grip the broom handle very tightly. Two never lean over the broom. Three, don't let anything on the ground distract you. And four, please don't distract me from flying."

"All right." Grace said nodding her head furiously and turning back around to face the city. Elphaba picked her up from behind and sat her on the broom before her. It hovered a few feet above the ground dangling her small feet off the ground. Then Elphaba sat behind, her easily able to see over her, with her arms around the small child and tightly pressing her closer and holding the broom tightly.

"Ready?" The young girl nodded slowly as the broom rose higher and floated forward past the balcony railing. "Then here we go."

Elphaba kicked off the railing and they soared higher up above the city. Her long black hair flew out behind her and she became very thankful that Grace pulled her hair back. Her own brown curls flying inn her face would've made it all the more hard to see.

She pulled the broom to stop and hover many miles above the tallest or now the tallest building in New York. "Are you all right?" She asked the young girl who slowly turned her head to show her excited smile.

"That was so much fun!" She said happily looking forward again and then leaning slightly forward. Elphaba pulled her back and then turned the broom back around. She quickly found Ground Zero and began to fly towards it. The sirens had stopped and the cars looked to have dispersed. So where was Hunk? She put one arm around the girl's chest and flew lower over the streets scanning all of them for any sign of him. Nothing. Just the same as Fiyero.

"No." She whispered looking around before landing on a rooftop. "No!" She dismounted the broom leaving t to hover with Grace on it behind her. "Why can't I ever have hope?"

"What's wrong?" Grace asked her jumping from the broom and instinctively grabbing the handle to keep it with her. Elphaba shook her head in answer and then fell to her knees once again staring hopelessly out at the silent city.

"I just can never hold on to anything or anyone." She admitted looking at the child's emerald eyes and seeing caring that used to be in Glinda's eyes. Grace wrapped her pale arms around her green neck and embraced her lovingly.

"He's alright. I'm sure of it." The young girl assured her smiling weakly at her. Elphaba wrapped her own thin green arms around the child and pulled her to sit in her lap on the edge of the roof. Tear streamed down her cheeks and into the girl's brown curls.

"What a touching display." Said a harsh voice from behind them. Elphaba clutched the girl closer and slowly turned her head to see the figure behind her. It was a man that was obvious from his voice, but what was he doing?

Elphaba stood up still keeping Grace close in front of her as she glared at the man. He smirked wickedly as he moved closer to them sensing her defenselessness moments before he had thought it appropriate to approach. Even though friendliness was not his goal.

"Who are you?" The witch asked the man stepping back a bit as the man took steps closer to the two. The man let out a cold laugh that startled the young girl and made her jump and run to the witch's side still holding the broom in her hand.

"I'm one of the millions who are looking for _you_. Maybe you haven't heard, but the President has put a bounty on your head. You are worth 20 million dollars from the government, witch." He had moved closer almost cornering them at the edge of the building as he spoke. He eyed the broom wearily knowing that as long as they had it, he couldn't catch her.

Elphaba stepped sideways and gripped the broom with the young girl as she saw his eyes wander to it. As she touched it his eyes snapped back to hers and glared into them. "I knew you would come to the rooftops looking for him. Where else would you go?"

"I can go anywhere." She fired back stepping forward. Grace whimpered behind her and released her grip on the broomstick to fully grasp the back of her dress. The man chuckled at this and quickly caught the top of the broom handle.

"Not anymore." He sneered almost inches from her face. Elphaba turned to pull inwards towards the building. She wasn't strong enough and within minutes of struggling he wrenched it from her grasp and she fell to the ground with Grace just behind her. "Now I can get my money."

As he spoke these words a sudden idea dawned on her of how to handle this man. He obviously had too much trust in the government for _his _own good. Perhaps this could be used for her good instead.

"Do you know how the government is paying you for your capture?" The man's smile vanished at the question and he looked confused as he thought it over.

"No. Why?" He asked looking at the witch before him curiously. Elphaba smirked and sat forward slightly.

"Well because they could find multiple ways to pay you. With savings bonds, health care, loans, stupid checks. Many more which I could list for hours." The man thought over her words and seemed to be completely confused.

"They could also pay me in cash." He said glaring right into the witch's eyes. Her smirk never faded; in fact it seemed to grow.

"I doubt that they will find any other way to pay the captor." She said rising to her feet and maintaining eye contact with the man. Grace walked back and flattened herself against the wall of the door into the building.

"Then I'll talk with the President myself about it." At this she crossed her arms across her chest and made a disapproving noise. Slowly she began to circle the man looking him up and down.

"That won't do you any good. If the President really is as brainless as he seems and he is, he wouldn't be in charge of the money issues of the position. He would only be in charge of the promotion which he is." She told him. The man's eyes went wide and he turned in circles to follow her progress around in circles.

"How do you know? You're only a witch. You're trying to deceive me. That's what he said you would do." The man settled on this as the explanation for her actions and words. Without another thought he grabbed her thin wrist and wrenched it back forcing her to stay in one spot. Grace screamed as he did so and still her smirk never fled her face.

"Grace run. No, Grace fly." She commanded snatching the broom from her captor and throwing it to the child. She caught it in her small hand and backed up slowly. The man pulled her wrist back even further pulling her both closer and tighter in his grasp.

"I can't. I don't know how." The young girl retorted after examining the broomstick in her hands. The man was now smirking and looked down at the witch expectantly, but she had nothing up her sleeves to get away. Her only thought was to get Grace away before herself. Why? She didn't know.

"Yes, you can. Mount and push off into the air. It will carry you. Just steer as I did. Go!" At her stern voice the child turned and followed her direction. She forcefully pushed off of the side of the building and hovered for seconds in mid air before dropping slightly. The small girl turned the handle upwards and the broom soared into the air. The broom then carried her quickly back in the direction of the apartment while Elphaba was thrown onto the cement on the top of the building.

"They will pay me. They have to. With cash." The man assured himself pacing back and forth before her. Shaking her head Elphaba sat forward rubbing her wrists gently to rid the pain that had previously surged through the skin there and glared up at the man.

"No they won't. The government will find any way possible to pay you without the use of money." The man turned on her sharply and glared fiercely back at the green witch on the ground.

"Is that so? Really? I still caught you! No broom, no help! How will you escape witch?" Elphaba grinned up at him as he finished his angry assault on her. His breathing was rapid and his gaze was angry as well as anxious. He didn't know what he was doing at all.

"You answered your own question just then. 'Witch'. Since that is what I am, I will most definitely get away. How? I can not yet say, but all it takes is one mistake from you."

He froze and his eyes narrowed with hate which only made her grin grow into a smile. He gripped her wrist again and pulled her to her feet roughly. Still grinning she was pulled down the staircase inside the building and out onto the streets again. He still pulled her quite roughly even though she came silently.

They turned a corner and a small car came into view. The sight of his small kidnapping vehicle made her laugh slightly. The lights were on and another man was inside waiting for him to return. He thrust the door open and unceremoniously threw her inside.

The man turned and looked surprised to see the green witch now in his car. "Wow, I didn't actually think he would do it." She rolled her eyes and grinned again at his words. The first man got in the passenger side and hit the man on the shoulder. "Let's go!" He commanded looking ahead.

"You really are amateur kidnappers." The witch remarked as the car began to move slowly through the streets of New York. The first man let out a sigh of aggravation, as the second seemed curious.

"Why is that?" He inquired looking back at her in the mirror as he drove at a very slow pace. The man beside him rolled his eyes and then looked angrily back at her.

"Yes, why?" Her grin spread wider and she leaned to the side secretly gripping the unlocked handle of the door to throw it open quickly.

"Well one, you didn't tie me up so I couldn't move. Two, you are not driving fast enough, and three the doors are not locked." She said before thrusting it open and diving out of the car. She rolled in a somersault and landed upright on her feet as she had planned. Glancing once over her shoulder she ran through the streets of New York searching. He had to be here somewhere. How far could he have gone?

"Hunk!" She called furiously out before burying her head in her hands and walking on. A church then caught her eye. It looked familiar to her. Then it hit her. It looked like the chapel in Saint Glinda's square. Another counterpart to her world.

She ran inside and shut the door tightly behind herself. Looking around she found it almost exactly set up as the chapel she knew. Except of course for the Saint Glinda part. In here it was God that they worshiped.

She moved up to the altar and stepped up to look around. It seemed deserted at first glance, but maybe someone else was here. Someone she couldn't see. Her hair fell in her face as she moved around looking at all there was to see.

She found a door on the side of the altar and ran her green hand over it for seconds. "Looking for something?" A voice behind her threw her from what thoughts this door stirred up and she turned around sharply on her heel.

A woman stood behind her dressed almost like the maunts she had known except with more of touch for this world. She took a step back as she saw that Elphaba was green and seemed to be startled by this.

"Actually I was looking for someone." The green witch said to break the silence, which had recently fallen over them. The woman shook her head slightly and made eye contact with her for the first time.

"Really? Well maybe I can help. Who dear?" The woman said walking over to push open the door behind Elphaba with some difficulty. She turned to face the way the woman was going to lead her through. "We have so many refugees here."

"I'm looking for a man. Fiye- Hunk." She corrected herself. Tears formed in her eyes as she began to say his name. She had never really let herself cry over his disappearance.

"I think a man just came to us today, miss. I brought him in myself. He had been running for quite awhile and was very tired. He looked as if he had run all the way around New York." The woman chuckled at this and led her down the narrow hallway and through many passages before the reached a room at the end. "Here we are."

She opened the door and revealed a small room with one narrow window on the wall opposite the door with a small bed and some furnishings. On a chair by the window sat a young man who turned to see who had opened the door.

His blue eyes startled her and a smile graced her face as he jumped up from his chair. The woman beside her backed away slightly as she sensed that they knew each other. "Elphaba?" He whispered walking forward into the light coming from the hallway. A gasp escaped her throat as she saw him. He had multiple bruises on his arms and a black eye though he still smiled. Her hand came up and covered her mouth as he came closer to her.

She felt his arms wrap around her and felt her head hit his chest and looked up at this feeling. His eyes were warm, not harboring any grudge against her for what the crowd had done to him. The woman had moved completely away from the room and had gone off somewhere. The witch felt Fiyero again and tears filled her eyes once more. Of course she felt him. Hunk _was _Fiyero. She knew this too and still thought of them as two different people.

Hunk saw her eyes fill with tears and rubbed her forearm comfortingly. "I'm not hurt. Well anymore." He told her trying to make her feel better though only succeeding in making her raise her head to meet his eyes. "I'm fine really, I am." Her tears seemed to freeze in her eyes for moments preparing to fall. He hated it. Standing waiting for her to cry. He wouldn't. Not after waiting for her to come.

He cupped her cheek and brought her lips up to feel his own. He saw her tears clear almost instantly at his motion and her arms instinctively wrap around his neck. He lifted her from the ground with his arms around her waist. Her body pressed against him as he spun around in a circle. He felt her smile against his lips before pulling away to show it.

The green woman in his arms held herself up with her own arms around his neck and smiled as he continued his spinning around aimlessly. Her legs bent and rose up beneath her so she seemed to be floating in air. Did this mean she trusted him? Her back arched back and her head fell back as her arms completely left his neck.

It did mean she trusted him. He was now the only thing preventing her from hitting the floor. He lifted her up smiling at her position in his arms. Her head almost touched the ground and her hair did already. Not able to hold her any more he forced her up and dropped her on the edge of the bed before sitting back in his chair by the window. "Am I heavy?"

She asked now lying on the bed and watching him with a smile still on her face. He smirked at her question and plopped himself down beside her on the bed. "Not at all, why?"

"You just look winded that's all." She said turning onto her side to keep eye contact with him. She was smiling in a way he couldn't read her feelings. He thought over her observation and the returned her smile.

"Well because I am. I was just chased around New York City."

"Do you blame me?" She asked him her smile fading slightly and her head lowering. He immediately moved forward and lifted her head up to meet his eyes.

"No. No. Not at all, Elphaba. I chose to stay behind. I knew what I was doing." He said not being completely truthful. He had known he would be hurt, but he didn't know how badly or how much he would be hurt.

A smile reappeared on her face and she reached her hand up to gently feel around his eye. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Her smile grew strong and now looked sincere to him. Her hand moved to his arms and felt those bruises, which still slightly stung. When she touched however he could barely notice. He looked at her face though she seemed to be occupied with seeing his bruises he had received.

"Well are you really not hurt or are you just being a stronger man?" She teased removing her hand from his last bruise and smiling up at him.

"It really doesn't hurt. I am already a strong man." He retorted smirking down at her and laughing with her as she did.

"Is that so? I've met many men that couldn't catch this witch." Elphaba said in return rolling over on the bed to be farther away from him. He lunged suddenly and grabbed her wrists pulling her back over to his side.

"Well then I must be something amazing for having caught you." She laughed and wriggled one wrist free of his grasp as he pinned the other one down on the sheets. He looked at her as her laughter stopped and she seemed frozen. He then realized what was the cause of her sudden stop in play.

He was completely on top of her pinning her down beneath him. They were dangerously close though his head was turned away. He went to stand up, only to be pulled down to her to meet her lips. Had she just initiated the kiss? It had always been him. He had never expected her to want to kiss him. He kissed her back meeting her passion with just the same amount.

Her mouth opened suddenly and her tongue greeted his with such anticipation he was himself lose his breath. He stopped breathing for seconds as their kiss continued. He didn't want it to end. Even to breathe.

Then she broke away breathing fast beneath him and never breaking eye contact. "What?" He gasped swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Grace. I sent her back home. We should get there too." She said sitting up and moving from the bed over to the door. Hunk disappointedly stood up as well and followed her. She left the room before him moving out of the small hallway before disappearing out of sight to the church. He glanced over his shoulder at the small room and sighed slowly in disappointment before turning to follow her out of the church.


	17. Wherever You Go

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Upon entering the apartment building they quickly parted ways. Hunk moved to the counter to ask if a girl had entered here, but knowing better Elphaba had ran to the stairs and made her way up to her apartment. 

Seeing that she had not stopped with him he dismissed the clerks answer and ran after her. He caught up to her just as she had reached the door to their _home._ Or whatever it really was. He caught her around the waist catching her by surprise and making her jump.

"God, maybe if you stop scaring me I would be able to open this damn door." Hunk grabbed the keys from her small green hands and with one movement opened the door.

"That was easy now wasn't it."

"Shut up." She muttered entering the room and looking around the room. "Grace." She called seeing the broom laid on the couch and nobody around it. "Grace."

Hunk entered behind her and also looked around confused. If Grace were here she would run to Elphaba, supposedly. Where was the child? She must have gotten here or the broom wouldn't be here.

The door slammed behind them and both turned simultaneously to look behind. Two men both in black suits stood just behind the door in shadows. Hunk opened his mouth to address the intruders, but Elphaba beat him to it.

"Who the hell are you?" The men stepped forward into the light and Elphaba stepped to Hunk's side glaring at the men. He glanced sideways as she did this and noticed that her eyes him glad that it was aimed at some other poor soul.

"We are the FBI." One said in a deep voice that made her shiver slightly beside him. Still the fury in her eyes never ceased even at her slight show of fear.

"What the hell is that?" She asked stepping slightly forward as she wrapped her arms around Hunk's.

"Were a force called to bring in criminals that the police can't seem to catch."

"You." They both moved forward and advanced on the two of them. Hunk moved in front of her as she backed up to grab the broom off the couch. "We can do this in many ways. One of which is non violent."

The second one held a gun to Hunk to make him stop moving and breathing all together. Elphaba seemed to stop breathing as well as she saw this. "I think we found a weakness." He said to the first man with a smirk.

Her breath came back to quickly and she breathed rapidly for minutes on end before her breath caught again at another sound. "Elphaba!"

The little voice startled her and her head snapped in its direction. She ran across the room dodging the men and jumping small furnishings in her way. "Grace?" She kicked open the door to the little girl's room and found her huddled in a corner of the small bedroom.

At the sight of the green witch she immediately stood up and ran over to her. The child caught her around the waist, but was stopped with her embrace by the green witch herself picking her up in her arms. Confidently she walked back into the room with Hunk and the two men.

"What now?" She heard one whisper to his comrade. He shrugged with a worried look on his face.

"I got an idea, how about you both put the gun down and leave now. Before you both end up in a different form." The looked confused for seconds by her threat and Grace laughed in her arms as she saw their faces.

"She means she'll turn you into something." Hunk clarified rolling his eyes and looking at the two. The gun was thrust harder into him as he spoke and he felt his breath leave him.

"We're not leaving." The man holding the gun told her with a smirk on his face as he saw her face full of fear and concern. "Not without a witch."

Elphaba drew in deep breath and placed Grace down on the floor before releasing it. She handed the confused girl the broom and stood straight again after kissing her cheek gently. "Then you'll leave with a witch."

"No!" Hunk yelled only to be hit again with the handgun. Her eyes met his, but only for seconds before lowering back down to the ground. "Please don't..."

"Alright let's go." The man with empty hands now gripped the witch's arm forcefully and directed her to the door of the apartment.

"No, mom!" Grace called running to the door trying to reach her. Hunk pushed the man off him and caught her around the waist lifting her up.

Elphaba's head had turned back around at the word she had used to call her. 'Mother'. Now it was even harder to go, but something had to be done to get them away from Hunk and Grace.

Grace fought Hunk's grasp and eventually won. He dropped her to her feet and she ran to her 'mother'. Her pale arms wrapped around her waist and the witch's free arms wrapped around her as well. Her startling green eyes met the witch's own pair and tears formed again.

With some difficulty she bent down to the child's ear and kissed her cheek quickly. "Get out of her. Run away from this apartment or they will return. I will follow, always."

The girl nodded slowly before one man shoved her back towards Hunk who gripped her shoulders and he too held back tears. The girl soon lost her battle with tears and let them fall freely as she watched her led down the steps. The men were everything, but gentle to the witch. They thrust out into the streets where she was met by a crowd of New Yorkers who supported the men on either side of her.

"Kill her!" One shouted. That phrase was all too familiar to her that it had little to no effect as it was said. People stepped out of the crowd and smirked wickedly at the witch being led to huge van with cage bars in the back. It looked as if it were for an animal or violent person. Perhaps that was what she was seen as.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw children hiding in the shadows. They all held flowers in they're hands. Roses to be exact. Her whole head turned to see the group of them in an alley out of the way. Maybe Grace was only one of many children who had been orphaned or harmed by that attack or even something else.

Her thoughts raced as she saw the children smile sweetly at her. They supported her. They liked her. Why? The crowd was still jeering behind her, but she took no notice of them. She was suddenly thrust into the back of the vehicle waiting there with no care at all. The children rushed out of the alley and to the bars. A small girl about the age of 4 slid her a flower between the bars and smiled weakly up at the green witch.

The men shoved the children out of their way and stirred up anger in their captive. Her eyes flared dangerously and this one feeling consumed her fear and only enhanced her reasoning. She stood in the back of the vehicle having to bend over due to her height. The small girl fell as the man shoved her back into the alleyway and her last doubts about anger fled.

Her voice filled all of New York City. Not a shrieking scream, but an angelic scream that scared the crowd before her. The children smiled at the sound and stood up out of the shadows, but closer to the vehicle holding the witch.

A shrill yell now joined her angelic scream as well as a man's voice. The crowd turned around and around in circles searching for the source of them. They then spotted the two figures on a broomstick flying towards the crowd. A loud bang was heard as they landed on top of the truck holding the screaming witch.

The man handed her the broom through the bars and jumped off holding the child. He walked over to the other children watching and herded them into the alley to stand there with them.

Not completely knowing what she was about to do she let the broom hover before her and placed both her palms against the sides of the van. Her eyes remained open and her strength pushed against the walls of the vehicle. The metal began to scrunch up around her fingers. It began to fold underneath her power. It was being bent off of its hinges and completely off of the van.

Her eyes didn't even blink now the power somehow coursing through her veins left her stunned and unable to move. The walls on either side of her folded completely and fell out on either side leaving the ceiling hovering just above her head. Her hands went up instinctively to throw it off her.

The crowd looked furious now, that this attempt to catch her didn't work. A smirk spread across her lips as she mounted her broom and flew just outside of the van. The crowd was planning among themselves to chase her wherever she was to fly, which was not going to be easy.

"Where are you going to go?" He asked her as the children moved to encircle the two adults. She let her gaze from face to face before meeting Hunk's concerned eyes.

"Take all these children with you." She told him ignoring his question. The witch bent down to the children's height and received a hug from each of them in turn.

"Where?" He asked confusion and fear mingled in his tone. She glanced up from her hug with Grace. She lifted the child and smiled at Hunk.

"You already know." She said as she handed the child to him and petting each child on the head as she ran through the circle and out to the crowd again.

"Kill her!' Filled the air as they saw her once again. The air was then filled with laughter from the witch as she rose into the air on her broomstick.

"Ha! Catch me if you can!" She yelled at the crowd before flying higher until the clouds covered her. The FBI van speed in the same direction followed close behind by the crowd leaving Hunk and the children alone.

"Will we ever see her again?" A young boy at his side asked looking up curiously at the sky. He opened his mouth to answer, but was again beat to it.

"Of course we will. Wherever we go she will follow." The little girl in his arms answered smiling at the sky. The children followed her gaze and stared at the spot where the witch had disappeared. All keeping a distant and hopeful look on their innocent faces.

Hunk smiled at her answer and also followed her gaze to the sky. _Wherever we go she will follow. _He repeated her words in his head before the children all gripped hands together in a line with him at the center to follow her direction. _Wherever she goes I will follow. Be sure of that._


	18. Until I am Sleeping

**Here I know it took me forever to write and finish, but here it is. I don't think this would be considered Fiyeraba so I'll call this Elphunk. Can be decoded as Elphaba/Hunk or Elphaba junk. Either way this is it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or Wizard of Oz. If I did I would be rich and probably 100 years old or older.

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**Her long black hair flew out behind her as she flew ever faster above the city. She flew in circles around the clouds flying in and out of sight as she did so. Her black skirts whirling in circles below her as well.

She could no longer hear the shouts of the crowd and felt it might be safe to land. So the witch landed on the top of a skyscraper looking down upon the city. The sun was now setting and the day that began so peacefully had turned out to be a disaster.

"Everything I do turns into a disaster though." She reasoned out loud sitting at the edge of the building and allowing her feet to dangle. "And now I'm talking to myself."

She threw the broom down beside her and kept her gaze on the horizon waiting the sunset. While flying she had decided to not go down to street level until it was completely dark. Just because she wanted it to come, it seemed to be slower.

"Miss?" The sudden small voice startled her making her jump and her head snap around. The small child jumped at her movement and his eyes went wide. He looked about 11, but seeing as he also looked hurt and hungry, she felt pity.

"Yes?" The boy stepped a little closer and then glanced behind him for a second before turning back to face her. Her natural conspiracy theories caused her to jump up and grab the broom at his motion.

"You're the witch, right?" He said shakily as if nervous about something. This even increased her suspicions even more. Elphaba nodded in answer backing away just slightly so as not to fall off the building, yet.

"Good. I was wondering if you would help me." He stated rather than asked. She raised a questioning eyebrow at his words and lowered her broom just slightly.

"I suppose." She replied to him smiling slightly and letting her suspicions drop. He smiled to, but wearily as he stepped closer. His deep blue eyes darting over his shoulders every now and again.

She bent down to the young boy's level and gripped his shoulders lightly with her green hands. He was shaking slightly and not just from her touch. "What's wrong?" She asked him soothingly as if it were Grace before her.

"I'm just...just lost." He muttered looking at the ground his eyes darting back and forth. He was nervous about something. It made her weary of her surroundings as if there was someone else.

"I'll help you." At this the boy glanced over his shoulder again and then at the witch. He closed his eyes as if frustrated and then looked sadly at her.

"No. Run now." He whispered to her completely confirming her fears. "My dad made me. Don't be mad please."

"I'm not." Elphaba assured him grinning now knowing exactly what she was going to do. "Care to join me?" She whispered summoning her broom to her hand with one movement and turning to face the street. A man appeared then with what appeared to be rope to try to catch her with and a knife in his other hand. The boy was now shaking and without an answer Elphaba scooped him up in her arm and placed her in front of her on the broom.

The man lunged then with the knife and only cut her leg slightly. She grimaced at the pain and held the boy tightly with one arms while she steered the broom with her other hand. "You are one of a million sons of bitches in this city, do you know that?" She snarled at the man before flying higher and farther away from the building.

"Thank you." The boy whispered to her as they flew towards her destination. She smiled as she flew the broom down blocks from where Hunk was and let him off before dismounting herself and gripping his hand.

"It was my pleasure." She said to him leading him down the street to the chapel. She pushed the doors open with force and pulled him inside with her before letting go of his hand. Shaking her head off to fix her hair from flying she stepped into the chapel and looked around.

The boy had been mesmerized at the sight of the chapel and the artwork within it. He walked around the wall marveling at the work on the walls. She watched him with a small smile. She didn't know why, but she was caring for these children. To her it was strange and a different feeling that had never taken her before. For once Elphaba couldn't explain it.

The peace of the church was then broken by the group of children from earlier running up to her led of course by Grace. Grace hit her around the middle and immediately wrapped her arms around her followed by the other children. The boy turned around at the mass of children and laughed happily at the sight.

Many of the children turned to see him and looked very confused by him being there. Grace too looked at him, but not with confusion, with welcome. She marched past the other children and faced him smiling broadly.

"I'm Grace, who are you?" Elphaba laughed at her direct approach to an introduction and watched the two with the other children.

"I'm Thomas. The witch saved me sort of." He said smiling back at her. She bowed her head graciously and smiled at him.

"No you saved me, dear." She saw the boy blush and smiled as she stood up straight again. The children immediately wanted to hear the story and to her great relief they went to Thomas for the telling instead. Only Grace still wanted to follow her.

"What will we do now, Elphaba?" She asked in a sweet innocent voice that melted her insides and thankfully not the rest of her. With some difficulty she bent down to her level and met her eyes.

"I have something I have to do first so please where is Hunk, dear?" She said grabbing a pew to help herself stand up again. Apparently the wound from the man's knife was more serious than she had thought.

"He's in the back do you want help?"

"No dear thank you." She said walking as normally as she now could back to the room she had seen him in before. The door was shut and the walls were growing bear leaving her with little to hang onto.

"Hunk. Are you there?" She said knocking on the door and gripping the doorframe above her head to stay standing. "Please open the door."

He opened it quickly and saw her hanging there causing concern to take hold of him. "What's wrong?" He asked her immediately taking her free hand to help her inside.

"My leg. I was stabbed and it appears to be bad or at least it feels bad." She told him letting him lead her to the same small bed in the room. Willingly she collapsed on it sighing from the relief of lying down. The witch allowed Hunk to roll up the edge of her skirts and look at her right leg. She heard a sharp intake of breath and shot up.

"What is it?" She asked frantically looking down at her leg which looked horrible. Blood covered most of her leg. It made her thankful she wore so many skirts. Hunk looked up as she asked this and noticed for the first time she showed fear or may be this was the first time it was genuine.

"Nothing. It's fine." He lied knowing it was no good. Her head snapped towards him and he met her eyes looking slightly guilty.

"You can't lie if I can see it." She pointed out glaring at him. He only smiled innocently and grabbed a wet wash cloth from the bedside. He gently dabbed at her cut as she laid back wincing at his touch.

"The blood is cleaned away, but the cut is deep." She looked up at him with pleading eyes that caught him off guard. "You need a doctor."

She let out a sarcastic laugh before gritting her teeth and sitting up slightly. "What doctor would care for a witch. Please sometimes you can be very stupid."

"There are doctors here. And sometimes you can jump to conclusions." He said smirking before leaving the room only to return seconds later with a doctor at his side. "She was stabbed." He explained to the man watching him carefully as he touched her leg. The witch winced in pain and shut her eyes.

Hunk immediately gripped her hand in his for comfort and felt her grip it tightly. So tight his circulation was almost cut off. "All right. It needs stitches." The man finally declared to the couple. Hunk sighed while Elphaba shot up again at the word.

"What? Stitches?" She questioned him glancing down at her leg and then averting her eyes.

"Relax, Elphaba relax. They numb your leg and then stitch it."

"You mean sew it?" She asked turning on him with fear in her eyes. He nodded before wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I'll make sure to numb you before I begin." The doctor assured her before leaving to fetch some things for her leg.

"Damn it." She muttered burying her head in his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck. An hour passed with him holding her through the procedure. He deliberately kept his own eyes off her leg to keep his head.

After it was over she was told to rest and for awhile. So Hunk was told to leave and go with the children. They were still in the center of the church all chattering with one another. He scanned the group for Grace and instead found her sitting alone in a corner. He moved quickly over to her worriedly.

"Grace what's wrong dear?" Her head came up and she immediately moved to hug him. He was caught off guard yet again, but picked her up nonetheless.

"How's Elphaba?" She whispered surprising him again with what she knew. Still he brushed it aside and answered her.

"Fine she's resting now and she'll be better in no time." Grace smiled then and laughed as she kissed his cheek. He held her close to him like a father. So much like one that he startled himself.

He felt her fall asleep against him and quietly left the room of children to take her to Elphaba. He quietly pushed open the door to peek inside the room.

"I'm awake." Came her voice as she saw him cracking open the door to the small room. He stepped inside the room with Grace and sat down on the bed with her still in his arms. "Yes?"

"Grace fell asleep and I thought when she wakes she would like to be with you." He explained to her laying the limp Grace in his lap. "She asked about you, somehow she knew."

Elphaba smiled and reached out her thin green arms to take her. He obliged and laid her in her arms allowing her to take Grace into her lap. She lovingly stroked the child's hair before yawning herself.

"You're tired. You should rest." He said standing and moving to pick up Grace when Elphaba's hand stopped him from moving.

"I'll keep her. Thank you." He smiled down at them and began to back out of the room. He was stopped again by Elphaba's hand grabbing his wrist and turning him around with unexpected strength. She looked so tired and defenseless now that if they saw her, she would not be considered a witch at all. Her next words startled him more and melted his heart by her sleepy tone as she drifted to sleep as she said it. "Please stay until I am sleeping."


	19. Happily Ever After

**Okay here is another new chapter. Hope you like it though even if many don't I'm still gonna keep writing. This chapter relates most it's information back to the book because I have not yet seen the musical. **

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Hunk fell asleep at the bedside as he watched Elphaba fall asleep it seemed to become contagious. Now he awoke and heard no noise anywhere, which was odd for the fact that they were in the middle of New York City. He opened the door to the room and stepped outside into the hallway and was instantly able to hear all the sounds of New York City through the walls. He then stepped back into the room and heard no noise all though the door was open. He repeated this method to test why this happened several times before he heard a soft giggle from behind him. 

He turned on his heel and saw Elphaba stroking Grace's hair softly and watching him with a smile on her face. "What?"

She giggled softly and then rolled her eyes. "You have to test it that many tomes to realize it's under a spell?"

"What?" She shook her head still with a smile on her face and adjusted herself against the pillows.

"I put a spell on it so I wouldn't have to hear the city outside." A look of realization came over his face and he moved to sit next to the bed again after closing the door. Laughing once more she met his eyes, "You really are so much like Fiyero."

"Who is this guy that you keep mentioning?" Hunk said throwing his arms up and slumping back in his chair causing it to tilt back only to be caught by the wall.

"Fiyero, was a...a friend from college back in Oz." She said looking down at the child in her lap. By the look in her eyes he could tell he had been more than just a _friend from college_. Also from her eyes he could tell something had happened to him before she came here. Then he remembered a conversation they had had in the barn loft.

He hadn't been a friend. No, now he remembered, he had been a lover. Punished for...loving her? Why is that a need for punishment? Seeing as she was not exactly in her best state to tolerate a game of twenty questions he decided to leave it at

"So, about today and basically everything where will we stay?" He broke the silence, which had fallen and drew her attention away from the memories of Fiyero. Her head came up and her hand flew to wipe a tear away from her cheek before it could fall any further down her cheek.

"Well seeing as I can't move, we're staying here aren't we?" Her sarcastic remark was the sign that her wall was built back up again and she lazily fell back against her mound of pillows behind her.

"I guess so." He answered simply receiving another roll of her brown eyes towards him.

"You only guess? You should know." He laughed and the chair finally gave out from beneath him and he fell to the floor with a loud bang. Grace's head shot up and she looked around wildly for the source of the loud noise that had woken her up. "I'm sorry Grace I didn't mean to wake you." Elphaba said to the frightened girl pulling her into a hug like her own mother to comfort her. Hunk, generally confused by her apology, stood and picked up the chair before taking his seat again.

"Wait, I fell, you didn't make the noise."

"What do you think made the chair fall?" She asked smiling slightly at him as her eyes glinted with wicked happiness.

"Hey!" He said before laughing and infecting her with laughter too. Soon all three in the room were laughing and smiling at each other. It suddenly stopped when a nurse entered the room behind them.

"I was sent to check on you, Miss." She informed Elphaba walking towards the bed and immediately picking up Grace and setting her down on the floor. This action greatly unsettled Elphaba making her sit bolt upright in her bed.

"What are you doing with her?" She asked frantically almost yelling at the poor old woman. She jumped at the harsh tone she was receiving and then moved to strip the covers away from her green body.

"I was simply moving the girl. It's not good to put pressure on the leg." She explained trying to remain calm at this time in the morning no one needed to deal with Elphaba's unpredictable moods.

Hunk watched her almost tear the blankets from her leaving her laying there in her ripped black dress with her tightly bandaged leg sticking out at an odd angle. The nurse gingerly raised it and to his surprise she showed no pain, in fact no emotion at all crossed her face. She unwrapped it carefully and revealed it to be a mass of black and blue. Grace let out a small squeal and hid behind Hunk with her eyes closed.

Now Elphaba's face held emotion, but it wasn't pain. No it was more of a feeling like sorrow. Her green hand extended out from under her causing her to collapse on the bed. Seeing as it was reaching towards him he expected she wanted his hand. So, he gave it to her and immediately felt her tightly grasp her thin fingers around it.

"Oh, the stitches are helping to heal it, but you will have to remain off it for a couple more days." The green witch scowled at this news and glared at the ceiling as the nurse wrapped her leg up looser than before and left the room.

"What now?" Grace asked coming out from behind him and jumping up onto the bed beside her.

"Well I think we should go see all the other children." Grace jumped up again and opened the door excitedly before walking out into the hallway to wait for her. The witch swung her legs over the side of the bed and immediately Hunk ran over and held her back.

"You can't walk yet. The nurse just said not to-"

"Who said anything about walking?" She cut him off pushing him away and whistling loudly. Her noise echoed throughout the halls and was then followed by an odd sound of wind. He saw a smirk appear on her features before her turned to look out to the hallway. Her broom flew around the corner and into her outstretched hand. She placed it in the air in front of her and lifted herself to sit sideways on it. It then rose to Hunk's level of height and flew out into the hall carrying her. He followed behind the girls running and flying down the hall to the main room of the chapel.

The children were already awake and had been fed by the nuns and priests who lived here and so graciously welcomed them. As soon as Elphaba flew into the room they encircled and made it impossible for him to even think of reaching her. After they each hugged her and wished her a fast recovery, they sat before her in a circle and the broom lowered to almost touch the ground to put her in the middle of their ring around the witch.

"Tell us a story, Miss Witch." One child begged from the middle of the circle. The outcry that followed this request was so great that she could not refuse this. With a long surrendering sigh, a roll of her brown eyes and a glance at Hunk she told them she would.

"First call me Elphaba, all right? And I will tell a story I suppose." The children immediately gathered closer at the answer to the request and watched her intently.

"All right, everyone listening?" She questioned receiving a loud 'yes' from the children. Smiling she turned her attention to Hunk for him to answer.

"Yes." He said simply receiving a much brighter smile from her.

"Good. So, I guess I should start as all stories normally start. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived with everything everyone could ever want. She thought herself the most beautiful of all the land and felt herself the best out of them all as well." Hunk found himself as interested as the children were and moved from his spot standing in the back to sit closer to the back row of the children. She smiled as she saw him sitting down on the floor like a child.

"Then she ran into someone she didn't expect herself to be associated with. This girl was poor and came from a different land than the Princess and so, was immediately hurt and targeted by the Princess. Her and her friends would laugh at this girl because she was so...different from everyone else. However this girl was secretly laughing at them, for she knew that even though her looks made her different the Princesses vain thoughts and horrible nature made her the victim of her own plot." The children as well as Hunk were hooked on the story. Yet, the story seemed to sound very like her story and it seemed she was more telling him then the children.

"When the Princess was forced to live with this girl she loathed, she thought there was nothing worse. And so did the girl. Then an amazing thing happened. This princess and peasant girl became very, _very_ good friends. She began to hang out more with the peasant girl than her old stuck up princess friends. They were in a group of friends in school. The princess, the peasant girl, a peasant boy, two jokers, and the very handsome prince." Hunk smiled at her then and new it must've been about her. The story of her own life.

"For once the peasant girl felt accepted by her group of friends. For this was the first time in her life that she had had friends. Then one day came when the peasant girl was called to meet the King due to her amazing talents of magical powers. So, she left her group of friends at school hoping to return and went with her best friend, the princess. But she never did return to her group of friends. The King was exposed to be a fraud and had no power at all. He lied and was doing horrible things to the animals and Animals in the land. Once the peasant girl found this out she pledged herself to the duty of fighting him and stopping his web of lies. So, she said goodbye to the princess and led what she thought would be the rest of her life in loneliness."

"Does that mean she made a friend?" Grace called out curiously then clamped her hand over her mouth. Hunk was also curious about this, but decided that he would let her finish instead of asking.

"No, Grace dear it means someone found her. She had made her small life in a hidden home that she thought no one would find. Then one day when she was walking the streets of the big city, an old friend recognized her and followed her. He forced his way into her home, not to hurt her or turn her in to the police, but just to see her again and to not be ignored. They talked and caught up that day. Then he returned a second time and they talked more. That day the handsome prince realized that he loved the peasant girl and showed her he did." Elphaba took a deep breath, closed her eyes and opened them, and then smiled weakly at the group. "The handsome prince married the peasant girl turning her into an unusual princess like her friend. Together they both defeated the King and took over all the land. They then lived happily ever after."

The children clapped and were blatantly unaware of her tears occupying her brown eyes. The witch bit her lip to stop from crying and put on a fake smile before the children dispersed around the church to play. Even Grace went to play with Thomas. Hunk moved from the floor and wrapped his arms around Elphaba. Her arms quickly wrapped around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He felt his shoulder grow damp and knew it was with her tears.

"It's not a happy ending is it?"

"No. Not happy at all."

At the other corner of the room Grace and Thomas watched the two adults hold each other at the other end.

"Who do you think she was talking about?" Grace asked looking up at him curiously. He smiled down at her before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. The little girl quickly followed his example and sat beside him.

"I think the peasant girl is Elphaba herself."

"And the prince?"

"The prince is Hunk. And they lived happily ever after."

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**A/N: As you probably all know it did not end in a happily ever after as Thomas tells her...yet. **


	20. Not Yet

**Alright this chapter is well I can't describe it. I like it though. It happens just after Liir is dropped at Glinda's to talk with her. I don't really remember all of Son of a Witch so please if I'm wrong don't blame me. Okay actually you should so go ahead.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or Wizard of Oz.**

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"So, is it about you?" Chistery asked her adjusting himself in her lap to see her face better. The sun was setting and all around them was getting darker by the second.

"Yes, dear it was about me." He clapped his hands together at his being right. Smiling she lifted him up in her green arms and stood up herself, then she began walking down the dirt road toward the yellow brick road.

"So you got very close to Hunk?" She let out a long sigh before nodding her head.

"Yes, very close. Like I was with Fiyero again I let my guard down." She halted walking as her heels began to click. Glancing down both saw the yellow glow in the moonlight.

"Where are we going exactly Elphaba?" She allowed him to climb up to perch on her shoulder as she stood in the center of the famous Yellow Brick Road.

"We are going to find my handsome prince."

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The children played around the inside of the church. Nothing happened to the church and all were allowed as long as they stayed under the watchful eye of Elphaba. Hunk sat with a few of the children he entertaining, but every so often he would glance at Elphaba and watch her balance children on her lap and fly them around the church. Grace never left Elphaba's side. She seemed to be attached to the witch. Whether this was a good or bad thing, he could not tell yet. A line was forming and soon the little ones he was entertaining ran over to join the line.

Hunk laughed at the eager little children now forming more of a mob than a line. Moving over to the back of the line he found Grace in the back. She wasn't smiling, as she usually was when he saw her. Instead she was sitting in the corner with her knees puled up to her chest and tears in her eyes.

"Grace what's wrong dear?" Her head shot up to look at him before she buried her head in her knees. Hunk bent down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned against him and cried into his shoulder instead. He saw her look at Elphaba as she landed and realized what she was crying about. "Grace she's just trying to keep them happy. She has a job to do. To keep all these children safe. Including you."

She looked up at him with sad eyes and then back at the witch who flew once more around the church. He pulled the young girl into his lap and smiled weakly at her trying to comfort her. "Remember how she sang to you?" The girl nodded looking at the wall. "Well she never sang to anyone of these children. She only sang for you." At this Grace smiled again and looked from the witch to him nodding. Then she hugged him around his neck and he hugged her as well. He felt so much like a father now it was amazing.

Elphaba saw them from above and smiled to herself. The little boy in front of her was so ecstatic from the thrill of riding on a broom. She didn't notice him waving at the younger children, for her whole attention was on Hunk and Grace as they hugged each other. Tears formed in her eyes as well and she quickly shook her head and looked around the church for something else to look at. Now she would not cry. What would she be crying about anyway? How eventually she would have to return to her home and leave Grace entirely.

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"But you didn't take her back!" Chistery said suddenly giving her the chance to wipe the tears from her eyes. They were now halfway towards the emerald city on the yellow brick road and her feet were in more pain than well no she had felt worse. With every step a pain shot up her legs and through her spine. Now she wished she had changed into her boots before running out of the castle. Her mind began to wonder how on earth Dorothy managed to get there in these things. Though being that she was a normal girl she would probably have more experience in wearing heels.

"No. Not yet." Chistery looked around at her as he heard her answer. He looked as confused as a monkey could possibly look and then he glanced down at the shoes. And a look of realization came over his face.

"You're going back?" She nodded shaking him slightly and making him readjust upon her shoulder. They could now see the Emerald City and now began to speed up their pace. "What exactly are you planning to do once in the city?"

"I'm not sure of that, but I know what I'm looking for."

"Don't you mean what?" A smile spread across the witch's face and lit it up almost as soon as it hit it.

"No. I mean what." He looked confused again and she laughed slightly. Knowing that she would never be able to get in the main gate she walked around the outer wall of the city and found the passage she knew crossed right under the Chuffery estate. Chistery did not know where she was going to, but knew that where ver it was, she would find what she was looking for. She was always right. Even when she didn't want to be she had been. And he had no doubt she was right about this as well.

The passage seemed to go on forever and yet again her feet began to hurt. Then they reached a canal, which seeing as they were underground seemed unlikely. Chistery held onto her shoulder as she walked carefully along the edge of the water. Suddenly she stopped movement and saw a boat coming up ahead. There only seemed to be one person in it and he seemed to be heading away from the Chuffery house. He was humming quietly to himself and almost immediately Elphaba recognized it as the song she had sung in the pub the night after Ama Clutch's death. She knew it had to be a friend.

She leaned somewhat out of the shadows to see him and unknowingly put Chistery over the water. He tried to move to the other side of her neck, but slipped and it the water with a loud resounding splash. The boat stopped moving and the humming followed, creating silence. Then sputtering could be heard as Chistery tried to reach for air.

Frantic Elphaba got down on her knees and reached her arms into the murky water below her. She groped until she felt fur and pulled up quickly. The winged monkey took deep, ragged breaths as he was plopped down not so gently into Elphaba's lap. He fell down to lie in her lap and breathed in the air around him. When one is saved from drowning one really does think of how much air he can breath in afterwards. The boat moved again slowly towards the odd couple until it was close enough to see them clearly in the darkness. Shakily it lit a lamp and held it out in front of him with a straw hand. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw it and the monkey frightened scampered behind her and up onto her shoulders once more. The figure moved forward to shed more light on them and she instinctively backed away into shadow. It was too late though. He had already seen her green skin and knew whom he had found.

"Elphaba?"


	21. Predictions and Preparations

**Another chapter of another story goes up and other people wait for more to read while they contemplate why they do not have better to do. Or at least that is what I do. **

**Disclaimer: This I do not own.

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**She leaned forward more into the light as she heard her name called. Whoever this was knew her name? Then it had to be a friend of hers, right? Not necessarily. The lantern lit up the straw figure and she recognized it immediately as the scarecrow that had escorted Dorothy to her castle. He sat forward and smiled at her as she eyed him warily.

"Don't you recognize me?" He questioned seeing her look at him with fear in her eyes. "Oh, right, the straw thing. Maybe this will help: I love you." Her eyes widened and she looked up and down the scarecrow before her. Chistery looked from the witch to the scarecrow generally confused.

"Fiyero?" It couldn't be anyone else. No one else had loved her. Her father had yes, but not a real love. Something between hate and love was his feeling. Fiyero's was unconditional love that he would admit even when she was the Wicked Witch.

"Yes." He laughed slightly and stood walking shakily towards the land she rested on. He jumped off the boat and landed beside her. "You didn't recognize me?"

"How could I? You're made of straw dear. What the hell happened to you?" His eyes rolled and he leaned back against the wall followed quickly by her.

"Morrible happened to me. I wasn't killed, Fae, just brutally beaten. Then when I wouldn't say anything about your whereabouts I was cursed." She adjusted herself against him and he placed a straw arm around her shoulders.

Chistery moved to sit in the witch's lap and now drew Fiyero's attention. "And who is your new companion?" She smiled, for the first time in Chistery's eyes. He had never seen her smile before. It truly was beautiful.

"This is Chistery, Chistery this is Fiyero." A straw hand shook a paw and nods were exchanged across Elphaba's lap before he looked questioningly at her. "I found him alone one day and..."

"She saved my life." He finished for her quickly jumping into the recount with a proud smile on his face. Fiyero looked stunned and proud all at once.

"Did you?"

"I was just being my-"

"Stop being modest. She saved my life." Elphaba rolled her eyes and looked away, her face a deeper shade of green. Chistery was smiling still as Fiyero reached his cloth hand over to pull her face back to look at him.

"Where have you been this whole time?" Her heart was beating faster as she looked at the scarecrow before her. It was Fiyero. He was really alive then. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. When she didn't answer, the Monkey did.

"She was in the other world. The wizard's world. She lived there and was just telling me the story." Her face flushed with more green and Fiyero pushed her away to look at her.

"Well please don't let me ruin your story." The witch smiled again and leaned back against the wall. Her mouth opened to reply, but she was stopped by Chistery's jumping on her lap.

"Yes. Please continue." She gripped his small shoulders to stop his movements and laughed slightly.

"All right. I will continue, but Fiyero will be lost." She looked over at him for a second for a response and he smiled laying his head back against the wall.

"It's all right. I'll just listen to your voice."

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Elphaba still couldn't put much pressure on her injured leg and had been flying around the church for about a week or two now. Grace and all the other Children would beg for stories daily now and unwilling to resist their pleads she would give in. Not having been told many stories when she was a child made it difficult to do so. So, she made up stories on the spot. Most involving some sort of Prince and princess and an even greater number involving the prince and the peasant girl. The children enjoyed all of her stories and most just loved hearing her voice. Hunk loved them both. Her stories filled him with such hope and feeling that he felt as if he had seen the actual story played out. And her voice was so soothing and sometimes passionate with her telling of these stories that he instantly fell in love with them.

Every time a different child asked for a story telling he would freeze to hear her answer and then drop whatever it was he was doing to listen. As would everyone else around. The witch's story telling soon became an event involving everyone in the church. Even the clergy who usually stayed away from the guests would come out to hear her stories. Everyone seemed to love what she instilled in them with her words.

Today however she had refused every request for a story and had not left the room Hunk and her shared. Now his interest and worry had gotten to him and he stood outside her room door waiting to hear any sound from inside. He knocked lightly and a sharp intake of breath came from inside. Then he heard a ruffle of sheets and a sound much like the clearing of a throat.

"Yes?" Her voice called from beyond the door. Hunk smiled and rested one hand on the doorknob while pressing his side against the wood.

"It's Hunk. May I come in?" He heard sigh and could just picture her rolling her eyes.

"Yes. You may." He pushed the door open quickly and saw her. The covers were pulled up to cover all of her. They were tucked beneath her arms so they covered her curves from his view. Though from the skin showing around her neck, he knew she was naked under the sheets.

He sat on the edge of the bed causing her to move her feet from where they had been laying. He smiled at her and she fiddled with her green hands returning his smiling weakly.

"You okay?" She made a face at his question and leaned back on the pillow.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine."

"No you're lying"

"Prove it." Hunk moved closer to her and leaned over her face. The green witch seemed to shrink back against the pillow as he came closer.

"It shows in your chocolate colored eyes. The look like they're about to melt." She averted her eyes from him and looked behind at the ceiling. He moved to be in her line of sight and she looked at him. "I can tell."

"Fine." The witch finally admitted sitting up straight and clutching the covers tighter around her. "I guess I'm just a little...homesick or something like that." Hunk now looked genuinely understanding and smiled at her.

"Then why don't you go home?"

"I can't. I miss Oz, yes, but I've actually done good here and I wasn't able to there." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and comforted her. This of course was true and he knew it from what she had told him of her life in Oz, but if she missed it then the only solution was to return.

"If you miss it then you just have to go back. I can take care of the 20 or so children and you can return to Oz." She looked up at him thankfully, but still seemed to have a bit of doubt.

"You know very well those children will eat you alive." He laughed and sat back up to look at clearly.

"That may be, but at least I know you'll return to us someday. After all you're not at all finished with your good deeds here. And I have a feeling we'll need your help in the near future."

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"So I did return. That very night. I slipped on the ruby shoes and clicked the heels together three times saying 'there's no place like home.' It worked, I ended up at Kiamo Ko, but Hunk was right. I have to go back."

Both Fiyero and Chistery had listened to the conclusion of her story and were now listening to her speaking to them. Chistery did not comprehend half of what she meant by he was right and she had to go back, but Fiyero had heard this part clearly.

"No. I just found you again I'm not going to let you leave me again." She held up her hand to silence him and then to his surprise smiled at him. It melted whatever heart he had.

"You don't have to. I figured out a way to get back while I was returning here and I happen to know that I have the only way there." Her smile then faded as if something had just returned to her mind. "I had the only way there."

"What do you mean?" Fiyero asked gripping her hands tightly in his own cloth ones. She looked down at the water and then met his eyes.

"Flying up high enough will bring you back into their world, but my broom was taken while I was away." To her surprise the straw man smiled and his cloth hand reached up to cup her cheek.

"I know where it is. A young boy had it. He came from Kiamo Ko with Dorothy and I." Chistery and Elphaba exchanged looks before a look of anger replaced her happiness.

"Liir." She said simply before looking at him again. He recognized the name and nodded slowly. Chistery climbed back up onto the witch's shoulders sensing her about to stand. "Let's find him."

"I just dropped him off at Lady Glinda's. He said that he wanted to speak with her so I brought him to her. What is your relation to him?" Chistery was now looking quizzically at her. Ever since this subject had come up at the castle he had suspected something between her and the boy. If he took the broom he must have been able to use it, which must have meant they were connected.

"I don't know. I was in a coma all right? I don't really know every detail of what happened while I was in it, but it seems I may have given birth to a child." His mouth fell open in shock at this and she clutched her arms around her stomach and looked anywhere, but at him.

"Mine?" Her deep brown eyes rolled angrily at his stupid question.

"Who else could it have been? Please tell me how many men do you think I have been with?" He looked at the floor and then quickly grabbed her hand.

"Come on. We'll just go see Glinda and Liir and get the broom back. No problem. I hope." She followed just behind him with the flying monkey perched upon her shoulders. He seemed very excited to go to meet Glinda, whom he had never met. Fiyero tugged her along to the bridge across which was a pair of glass doors leading into the Chuffrey Estate. "Ready?"

"No way in hell."


	22. Needed Rest

**Another Chapter. If this is not greatly tied to the novel Son of a Witch then please forgive me. I have not just read that and unlike Wicked do not know all about it. **

**Disclaimer: I also do not own Wicked, or Wizard of Oz. I mean really use your common sense.**

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Fiyero took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the door ahead of them. He slammed his cloth fist down on the door and a small shriek was heard from the other side. The door opened quicker than she had expected and a petite blonde in all pink stood there watching them. "Yes?" Glinda's voice said. She obviously couldn't see them at all.

"Glinda? It's me." Fiyero stepped forward and into the light to reveal himself as the scarecrow he was known as. A smile appeared on her face.

"Come in please." He hesitated and looked behind him at Elphaba in shadow. Slowly she stepped forward out of the light and Glinda jumped forward. "Elphie!" Before the witch knew what was happening the small blonde pulled her into a very pink embrace.

"Glinda, do you happen to know where Elphaba's broom might be?" She turned around after releasing the witch and bounced inside her home again.

"Yes actually I have it. Yes I do. I knew it was yours when it didn't burn in the fireplace." Elphaba smiled and stepped closer to Fiyero with one step. Chistery had not said one word once Glinda had entered his life. This was all quite new to the young Monkey.

"Thank you Glinda may we have it?" Glinda smiled and opened the door wider.

"Only if you agree to stay for at least awhile." Elphaba thought it over and decided that Hunk couldn't have gotten into too much trouble in her short absence and nodded her head.

"Good." Fiyero said walking into the immense house where Glinda lived. Elphaba followed met by the sight of a great downstairs living room. Winding stairs at the opposite side of the room led up to the second floor and then to the rooftop. This immediately drew Elphaba to it and she gazed up through a window that also served as the door out and onto the roof. Stars shone down on her and she saw them as the same sky Hunk and Grace were currently looking at too.

"So how is it exactly that you are alive Elphie?" Elphaba turned around to face them a sad look in her eyes that she couldn't mask.

"Glinda surely you don't believe water could melt anyone? That is physically impossible trust me." Glinda laughed and sat herself down in a fluffy red chair in the middle of the room. Fiyero was already seated in a smaller chair watching her move around the room.

"At first I didn't but then a small boy came here with your broom and immediately I assumed you dead for a young boy to have your broom." Elphaba looked at Fiyero who was looking questioningly at her. She only nodded her head in answer before he stood up. He turned to face Glinda with such determination for a scarecrow.

"Do you know where he went?" The blonde seemed to be taken aback by this sudden turn of conversation, but still shook her head.

"I don't, but you should know he calls himself your son." She said looking at Elphaba behind him and standing as well to match everyone in the room.

"Oh he does? Well how wonderful for him." She said with a slight smile that only Fiyero was meant to see, but Glinda caught it too.

"What's going on? I have a right to know what you know. And how do you two know each other?" Fiyero laughed and plopped down in the chair he had previously been occupying. Elphaba now smiled a true smile at her friend.

"Glinda, he really is my son. And I know him very well actually." Fiyero watched the two women with a smile on his face as well. But at this Glinda turned her attention to him.

"Is this true? You knew her and never told me, Scarecrow." He nodded seeing Elphaba behind her looking at him accusingly with her deep brown eyes.

"I know every single inch of Elphaba." Glinda's mouth fell open at his words and turned to face the witch. Wordlessly she pointed from Fiyero to her and then made several random hand gestures.

"Yes, he is the father and _he_ actually isn't a scarecrow either." Elphaba walked over to where he sat and pulled him to his feet to face Glinda. "Glinda the Good, meet Fiyero, Prince of the Arjikis." The small blonde clutched her heart and fell back into her fluffy red chair as she heard this. Now that she looked at him he did have Fiyero's face and some of his other features.

"Really?"

"Truly." Glinda embraced him and this time it wasn't as the scarecrow, but as Fiyero her old friend.

"So, now I have re joined with two of my old friends?" They both nodded smiling at her and she smiled sweetly back. "Where is the rest of our posse?"

"Well," Elphaba stepped forward and began to pace back and forth remembering. "Tibbet I am sorry to say has passed away. I was with him then. "Boq, married Milla and the live in Rush Margins, correct?" Fiyero nodded and she continued. "Crope I do not know where he is..."

"Crope is in the Emerald City. Remember we ran into you in a store many years ago. You were buying Vinkun scarves. 6 I believe and I was With Crope buying my own clothes." Fiyero backed up as Elphaba froze midst step after hearing Glinda's explanation.

"You saw her in the Emerald City and you didn't tell me? You told me everything else. How come you forget to mention that she was there?" She was backing him into a corner both physically and mentally he had hoped she would never find out about him keeping that from her, but after she had supposedly died he had also forgotten. Glinda had to go and drag it back up again.

"Did you also know Nessa was there about the same time?"

"What?" A fire burned in her chocolate colored eyes as she came ever closer to him. "Nessa was there too? You knew I told you all hell was going to break loose and you don't even mention how my best friend and sister are in the city as well?"

"I knew you didn't need to hear it." He had finally come up with what he thought was a sufficient answer for her. "You were under so much stress as it was. I could tell your muscles always tense up when you are nervous or scared." At this her muscles relaxed from their previous tense positions and she had tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. This is just so much. I need...I need some sleep. Glinda can I sleep here?"

"Of course you can. There is a room up at the top of the stairs open and one down further from that for you Fiyero." He nodded in thanks and moved to go up stairs, but she beat him to it. The witch quickly flew up the steps with her skirts flying out behind her and Chistery clutching her shoulder. He had not understood most of what just happened, but knew it had greatly effected the witch. She slammed the door behind her and sent him jumping from her shoulder and onto the headboard of the nearby bed.

Elphaba kicked the ruby slippers off from her feet and plopped herself down on the bed. She buried her face in the pillow to hide evident tears now trailing down her cheeks. The Monkey climbed down to her side and rubbed her back comfortingly. "Thank you." She said into the pillow, as Chistery's soothing calming measures helped her to sleep.


	23. Another Meeting

**This chapter is somewhat short, but only because I want to get Liir in here. I'm working on Match Maker so don't freak out or anything and unfortunately for me, my story ideas come at the worst times, like over vacation. So, I'll probably post it tomorrow. I thought something up and like the idea, so look for it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked, not even in my dreams.**

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Elphaba woke up in the middle of the night. Chistery slept peacefully by her head and all seemed quiet. Silently she sat up to stretched out on the bed. Turning around, her heart jumped up into her throat as she saw Fiyero sitting in the corner, slumped down in sleep.

"Elphaba why are you back here? You know the Gale Force is still in existence?" He questioned her leaning to one side and smiling slightly.

"I know. I also know that without my broom I can't return to the Wizard's world. Damn it please let Liir be close by." She grabbed her cloak quickly and went towards the door. Fiyero jumped up and followed her out. He knew better than to ask her where she was going. So instead he followed her like an obedient puppy. Elphaba didn't mind him following at all. In fact it might help. He had seen Liir lately and knew what he looked like. Though it couldn't be that hard to find a boy with a broomstick.

Her heels clicked in the street and made it very hard for her to stay silent and unnoticed by anyone. She pulled her hat brim lower over her face and Fiyero slid his arm around her shoulder for comfort. They walked through multiple alleys and streets in the dark until they reached the worst part of the city. The run down area infested with horrible people and worse. She kept her head down as he led her through. The ground served as her vocal point as she walked.

Then all of a sudden he stopped short and tapped her shoulder. Her head shot up and looked around in front of her. A young boy who had gotten taller since her last look at him holding a broom in his hand was talking to an older man. Fiyero left her side and went and tapped on his shoulder. They conversed some before he managed to get him away from the man and over to her.

"Liir, I need that broom." He told him. The boy clutched it and now she realized he also had her cape. He shook his head violently back and forth.

"No. I can't give it away to you. I'm sorry I just can't."

"Why is that?" Elphaba asked her curiosity spiked by his protectiveness of the item that used to belong to her. She was never any good to him, why did he want it.

"It's not yours."

"Yes it is." She replied smiling underneath her hat brim and glancing over at Fiyero. "I need it to go back to the Wizard's world they need my help." She held out her hand for it and saw his eyes go wide at the color.

"No it's a trick isn't it?" Fiyero gripped Liir's shoulders with his own straw hands and held hi steady.

"This is no trick. Elphaba is really standing in front of you."

"As are you Fiyero." She grinned at him in the shadows and he returned it. Liir looked from one to the other looking very confused.

"Liir I am your mother and this is your father." She motioned towards Fiyero who smiled sweetly at him.

"My father is a scarecrow?"

"He wasn't a scarecrow when you were conceived." She fired at him letting her whole face show as she glared at him. She finally snatched the broom from him and turned on her heel to leave. Then Liir saw her shoes.

"The slippers." He followed behind her with Fiyero right behind him. "How did you get those?" She smiled and turned to face him as she walked backwards.

"I got them as a gift from an old friend." She winked at the boy and he glanced at Fiyero who mouthed 'Dorothy' at him while the witch's back was turned.

"Why are you going to the wizard's world?" She breathed in deeply to calm herself and turned the same amount of corners to reach Glinda's house again.

"I'll explain later at Glinda's house." Liir was about to question this but when Fiyero's hand collided with his stomach he lost his words and forgot about it.


	24. The Real and Unreal

It took almost all night to explain the story to Liir, but eventually she got him to understand why she needed to go back, how she planned to do it and the past events in the wizard's world. After her long explanation, Elphaba went into silence calming herself, for she was very close to yelling at the boy for his stupidity and failure to understand everything being said. Carefully she massaged her temples as Fiyero attempted to tell of what he had gone through.

"After I had been beaten I was taken to a field where the Gale force suspected they could kill a Vinkus Prince quietly." At this Liir's eyes grew wide and Elphaba's attention was drawn to her son. He realized it this fast? His intelligence could come and go like that?

"Well, anyone who knows Elphaba knew she wouldn't have taken anyone trying to kill her friends lightly. So, with a spell from that book I was saved. I am a scarecrow yes, but alive nonetheless." Liir was looking back and forth from his mother to his father in quick succession until his gaze settled on Glinda for support. She only shrugged.

"Wait let me check," Elphaba sighed heavily and the words 'brainless munchkin' could be heard mixed with it as he continued. "You are Fiyero," She watched her lover nod slowly as he started his questions. "Prince of the Arjikis," another nod, "Father of Princess Nor?" His nodding stopped abruptly and his eyes shot from his son to meet the witch's dark eyes, but they closed before he could see them. "Are you her father?" Glinda's eyes were wide now from shock. It was like a soap opera in her living room, and she had no popcorn?

"Yes but-"

"Mother?!" Liir had whirled around to face his mother whose blush could only be seen and recognized by the only other person who had seen it before on her. Her deep eyes opened to reveal her calm and relaxed as she met her lover's eyes in their son glaring at her.

"Yes?"

"You knew what he was. Why would you?" Her face was turned away now and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. It was a well-known feeling for someone of her color.

"Listen, your father would call it love as would I, but simply because I have no other way to describe it. Only something as horrible as love could blind Fiyero into loving me." Liir's features softened with something like pity as he looked at her, Elphaba hated pity, and she didn't need it nor want it. Defiantly she stood and turned towards Glinda's massive staircase. Her eyes caught sight of her friends surprised expression and her lovers hurt gaze, all following her.

"Fae..."

"I'm going to sleep now. Tomorrow, I leave, no talking me out of it. I know they're heading for trouble." The Witch turned on her heel and almost flew up the stairs and into her temporary room, her newly acquired broomstick in hand. As her head hit the pillow sleep overcame her senses instantly and she drifted off.

_She was flying, lower than usual, but still higher than anyone could ever hope to reach. Looking around her, it was as if fire filled the air. Everywhere smoke clouded her vision and fire threatened to bring her down. The little landscape she could see she didn't recognize. It was unfamiliar. Not Oz, with Glinda in charge she would never let this happen. The wizards world! It had to be. Why had she arrived here instead of back where she had left? Instead of New York? Or was this..._

_No it was a barren landscape only filled with fire right now. Then why was she put here instead of Kansas or New York? Noises could now be heard as she descended closer to the flames. Not just noises, but people, people screaming. Her allergy to water had been healed by coming here once then what had twice healed? As her sleeves caught the flame and her skin burned a red hot it was proven to not have helped her at all. Elphaba ripped her sleeve off, tearing it up to her shoulder and throwing it into the flames. _

_Another scream broke through her pain from the burn and she remembered why she had flown lower. The witch assumed a flying position and flew at top speed towards the sound. More sounds were heard, shouting, screaming, crying and then gun shots. The witch stopped in mid air at the sound and her eyes grew wide. War. That's what it was. This world was at war, a higher level of war than ever even thought of in Oz. Her dark eyes spotted the people now. Most were running from the fire as it grew and advanced towards the battling humans. Some were still fighting or trying to continue despite the flames and others were trying to avoid whatever death was in store for them. _

_Her skilled eyes got sight of a figure running from the bullets and gunshots. He had an odd way about him. He ran like a drunk and continued falling like his legs wouldn't support him, like he was too afraid to stay upright. Like the scarecrow when threatened with fire. "Hunk," was the only word that escaped her lips, before she sped off towards the running man. She was miles above the ground and would have to quickly dive to get to him, but if she succeeded it was a small price to pay. _

_Without warning more fire exploded before her in a faster rate than her velocity. Eyes wide, Elphaba pulled the broom handle back; stopping herself mid air as the fire bloomed into life where she had seen him running. Exactly where she had seen him, where he had been. Tears formed in her eyes as the meaning crashed down upon her. "Fiyero!" _

The Wicked Witch awoke in a sweat and sat up quickly. It had only been a dream, but it had felt so real and so unreal at the same time, was that possible, like something was happening when it wasn't. Her eyes scanned the room and found nothing out of the ordinary in her room. Her broom had fallen from her side and onto the floor and the door was still closed, Fiyero obviously felt no need to come and wake her, as he had no need to sleep. And Glinda must be in bed at 4 in the morning and Liir, knowing him, would've been asleep. A stirring in the corner pulled her attention to the only other forgotten living thing in the room: Chistery. He was looking at her with eyes filled with genuine concern. Elphaba straightened herself up and smiled quickly at him. He understood that as her way of asking him to leave it, so it would be left alone, for only now. Turning back on her side and resting down again she somehow decided her dream was both real and unreal, or tried to. Her mind wouldn't rest until she had finally succeeded in an answer. It was the future of another land. Real and unreal.


End file.
